Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SB1272 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
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4	4	SENATE BILL 1272
5	5	By Johnson
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8	8	SB1272
9	9	002818
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12	12	AN ACT, to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
13	13	Chapter 50, Part 8; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 6;
14	14	Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 9; Title 49, Chapter 10,
15	15	Part 14; Title 49, Chapter 16, Part 2; Title 49,
16	16	Chapter 18, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 2, Part 1;
17	17	Title 49, Chapter 3, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 3,
18	18	Part 3; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 10; Title 49,
19	19	Chapter 6, Part 30; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 31;
20	20	Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 41; Title 49, Chapter 6,
21	21	Part 50; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 2 and Chapter
22	22	1005 of the Public Acts of 2024, relative to
23	23	education.
24	24
25	25	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
26	26	SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-814(a)(2), is amended by
27	27	deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:
28	28	(2) "Eligible employee" means a teacher, principal, supervisor, or other individual
29	29	required by law to hold a valid license of qualification for employment in the public
30	30	schools of this state and who meets the following requirements:
31	31	(A) Has a valid license of qualification, or an emergency credential
32	32	issued by the department of education pursuant to § 49-5-106, required for the
33	33	position the employee holds;
34	34	(B) Has been employed full time with the same local education agency or
35	35	public charter school for at least twelve (12) consecutive months in a position for
36	36	which the employee is required by law to hold a valid license of qualification, or
37	37	an emergency credential issued by the department of education pursuant to §
38	38	49-5-106, at the time of the birth, adoption, or stillbirth of the employee's child;
39	39	and
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44	44	(C) Has held a valid license of qualification or an emergency credential
45	45	issued by the department of education pursuant to § 49-5-106, for the entire
46	46	twelve (12) consecutive months of employment with the local education agency
47	47	or public charter school.
48	48	SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-814(d)(2), is amended by
49	49	deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:
50	50	(2) The six (6) work weeks of paid leave granted pursuant to this section do not
51	51	need to be taken consecutively; provided, that the paid leave granted pursuant to this
52	52	section is used in increments of no less than one (1) week and is used within twelve (12)
53	53	months of the birth or stillbirth of the employee's child or the employee's adoption of a
54	54	newly placed minor child.
55	55	SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-1-201(c)(11), is amended by
56	56	deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:
57	57	(11) Upon request of the comptroller of the treasury, report the average daily
58	58	membership of the preceding year, as determined and taken from the daily membership
59	59	reports of the teachers and other officers of the various cities and counties, and the
60	60	school census, as determined by the scholastic census enumeration;
61	61	SECTION 4. Section 5 of Chapter 1005 of the Public Acts of 2024, is amended by
62	62	deleting the amendatory language and substituting instead:
63	63	(i) Notwithstanding subsection (a), student achievement, student growth, or any
64	64	other student data that serves as an indicator of performance for a student who enrolls
65	65	in, or transfers to, a public school for less than fifty percent (50%) of the school year
66	66	must not be used to assign a letter grade to the receiving school for purposes of this
67	67	section. The data described in this subsection (i) may be used to assign a letter grade to
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72	72	the school in which the student was enrolled for fifty percent (50%) or more of the
73	73	respective school year.
74	74	SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-1-225(f), is amended by deleting
75	75	the language "By July 1, 2025, and by each July 1 thereafter" and substituting instead "By
76	76	February 1, 2026, and by each February 1 thereafter".
77	77	SECTION 6. Section 6 of Chapter 1005 of the Public Acts of 2024, is amended by
78	78	deleting the amendatory language and substituting instead:
79	79	(f) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, the state board of education
80	80	shall not include in the performance goals and measures for a public school or LEA, the
81	81	student achievement, student growth, or any other student data that serves as an
82	82	indicator of performance for a student who enrolls in, or transfers to, the public school or
83	83	LEA for less than fifty percent (50%) of the school year. The data described in this
84	84	subsection (f) may be included in the performance goals and measures for the public
85	85	school or LEA in which the student was enrolled for fifty percent (50%) or more of the
86	86	respective school year, if applicable.
87	87	SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-1-907, is amended by deleting the
88	88	section.
89	89	SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-136, is amended by deleting
90	90	subsection (b).
91	91	SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-3-108, is amended by deleting
92	92	subsection (c) and substituting:
93	93	(c)
94	94	(1) An LEA's allocated education funding must not decrease more than
95	95	five percent (5%) from one (1) year to the next year. If an LEA's TISA allocation
96	96	decreases by more than five percent (5%) from the LEA's TISA allocation for the
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101	101	prior school year, then the department shall allocate additional funds to the LEA
102	102	in an amount such that the decrease in the LEA's TISA allocation for the current
103	103	year is only five percent (5%), except that the department shall not allocate
104	104	additional funds to an LEA pursuant to this subsection (c) if the department is
105	105	required to allocate additional funds to the LEA pursuant to subsection (b).
106	106	(2) Beginning with allocations for the 2025-2026 school year, for
107	107	purposes of implementing subdivision (c)(1), the department shall determine
108	108	whether an LEA is eligible for additional funds pursuant to subdivision (c)(1)
109	109	based on funds generated by students in non-virtual schools only.
110	110	SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-3-359(c)(2), is amended by
111	111	deleting "June 1" and substituting "July 31".
112	112	SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-3-359(d), is amended by
113	113	deleting the language "BEP" and substituting instead "TISA".
114	114	SECTION 12. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-1012(g), is amended by
115	115	deleting the subsection and substituting instead:
116	116	(g) Upon request of the education committee of the senate and the committee of
117	117	house of representatives having jurisdiction over academic acceleration, the department
118	118	of education shall submit a report to the requesting committee on the implementation of
119	119	this section.
120	120	SECTION 13. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-3004(e), is amended by
121	121	deleting the subsection and substituting instead:
122	122	(e)
123	123	(1) A local board of education, private school, or church-related school
124	124	that exceeds the full six and one-half (6 1/2) hours instructional time required by
125	125	law by one-half (1/2) hour daily for the full academic year must be credited with
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130	130	the additional instructional time. The excess instructional time may be
131	131	accumulated in amounts up to, but not exceeding, thirteen (13) instructional days
132	132	each year, referred to as "stockpile days". Stockpile days may only be applied
133	133	toward meeting instructional time requirements missed due to:
134	134	(A) Dangerous or extreme weather conditions;
135	135	(B) Serious outbreaks of illness affecting or endangering students
136	136	or staff;
137	137	(C) Natural disaster or dangerous structural or environmental
138	138	conditions rendering a school unsafe for use;
139	139	(D) School-wide or district-wide instructional planning meetings,
140	140	parent-teacher conferences, or other similar meetings; or
141	141	(E) Faculty professional development that is in compliance with
142	142	state law and the rules and policies established by the state board of
143	143	education.
144	144	(2) Stockpile days may only be used in whole day (six and one-half (6
145	145	1/2) hours); half (1/2) day; or one-third (1/3) day increments.
146	146	(3) A local board of education, private school, or church-related school
147	147	shall maintain documentation of the purpose for each stockpile day used as
148	148	required by the department of education, including reasons for school closures
149	149	and agendas for professional development for audit purposes.
150	150	(4) An unused accumulated stockpile day must not be used for the
151	151	purpose of ending the school year early and cannot be carried over from one (1)
152	152	school year to the next.
153	153	SECTION 14. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-3004(i)(1), is amended by
154	154	deleting the language "two (2) days" and substituting instead "five (5) days".
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159	159	SECTION 15. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-3004(i)(7)(A), is amended by
160	160	deleting the subdivision and substituting:
161	161	(A) When possible and safe, as determined by the LEA, make school meals
162	162	available to students in accordance with the school nutrition program requirements on
163	163	days that remote instruction is provided pursuant to this subsection (i); and
164	164	SECTION 16. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-3115, is amended by deleting
165	165	subdivision (f)(2) and substituting:
166	166	(2) Subject to appropriation, the department may use funds to administer a grant
167	167	program to assist LEAs and public charter schools in providing academic tutoring
168	168	supports to students.
169	169	SECTION 17. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-4108(a), is amended by
170	170	deleting the first sentence of the subsection and substituting:
171	171	Upon the request of the department of education, each LEA shall submit a report
172	172	to the department detailing the LEA's use of corporal punishment.
173	173	SECTION 18. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-4108(c), is amended by
174	174	deleting the subsection.
175	175	SECTION 19. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5001(c), is amended by
176	176	adding the following as a new subdivision:
177	177	(4) A child in the custody of this state must not be denied admission to any
178	178	school or school facility if the child has not been immunized or is unable to produce
179	179	immunization records due to being in the custody of this state. The enrolling school shall
180	180	comply with all federal laws pertaining to the educational rights of children in state
181	181	custody, including, but not limited to, 20 U.S.C. § 6311(g)(1)(E).
182	182	SECTION 20. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-10-1405, is amended by deleting
183	183	subdivision (a)(1) and substituting:
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188	188	(1) Remit funds to a participating student's IEA on at least a quarterly basis. Any
189	189	funds awarded under this part are the entitlement of only the eligible student under the
190	190	supervision of the student's parent. The maximum annual amount to which an eligible
191	191	student is entitled under this part is equal to the amount representing the base funding
192	192	allocation and the average special education funds generated by students with
193	193	disabilities under the Tennessee investment in student achievement formula for the LEA
194	194	in which the student's enrollment is reported for purposes of this part; provided, that if a
195	195	participating student participated in the program in the 2024-2025 school year, then that
196	196	participating student must not receive an annual amount in the 2025-2026 school year or
197	197	a subsequent school year that is less than the annual amount the participating student
198	198	received in the 2024-2025 school year. For purposes of funding calculations under this
199	199	subdivision (a)(1), each participating student must be counted in the enrollment figures
200	200	for the LEA in which the student resides and is zoned to attend. The IEA funds must be
201	201	subtracted from the state funds otherwise payable to the LEA;
202	202	SECTION 21. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-10-1402(3)(A), is amended by
203	203	adding the following as a new subdivision:
204	204	(xi) Deafness;
205	205	SECTION 22. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-16-211, is amended by deleting
206	206	subsection (b) and substituting instead:
207	207	(b) Total enrollment in all public virtual schools established by an LEA must not
208	208	exceed one thousand five hundred (1,500) students; however, an LEA with a public
209	209	virtual school in operation as of January 1, 2025, may use the total number of students
210	210	who were enrolled in the LEA's public virtual schools as of the 2024-2025 school year as
211	211	the LEA's enrollment cap. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, if each public virtual
212	212	school in the LEA demonstrates student achievement growth at a minimum level of "at
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217	217	expectations," as represented by the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System
218	218	developed pursuant to chapter 1, part 6 of this title and guidelines adopted by the state
219	219	board of education pursuant to chapter 1, part 3 of this title, then the public virtual
220	220	schools in the LEA may exceed the enrollment cap established for the LEA pursuant to
221	221	this section.
222	222	SECTION 23. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-18-109, is amended by deleting
223	223	the section.
224	224	SECTION 24. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.