Education Administration & Planning

As enacted, provides that no adverse action may be taken against any student, teacher, school, or LEA based, in whole or in part, on student achievement data generated from the 2017-2018 TNReady assessments. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, creates the "Homeless Student Stability and Opportunity Gap Act." - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 71.

As enacted, requires each local board of education to develop a policy to implement a program to reduce the potential sources of lead contamination in drinking water in public schools that incorporates periodic, not to exceed biennial, testing of lead levels in drinking water sources at school facilities that were constructed prior to January 1, 1998. - Amends TCA Title 49; Title 68 and Title 69.

As enacted, enacts the "Student Due Process Protection Act". - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 5; Title 10, Chapter 7; Title 24 and Title 49.

As enacted, provides that any voluntary association that establishes and enforces bylaws or rules for interscholastic sports competition for secondary schools in this state is subject to an annual audit by the comptroller of the treasury; enacts other provisions regarding school athletics associations. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 2; Title 49, Chapter 3 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

As enacted, revises the teacher code of ethics; requires annual professional development for teachers on the teacher code of ethics; requires teacher preparation programs to include training for all students on the teacher code of ethics. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 2; Title 49, Chapter 5 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

As enacted, requires a director of schools, director of public charter school, or director of a nonpublic school who learns of the conviction of a licensed educator employed by the LEA for certain offenses to report the conviction to the state board; authorizes the state board to reprimand such a director for failure to report; enacts other related provisions. - Amends TCA Title 8 and Title 49.

As enacted, requires the state board of education to develop a policy for transmittal of final disciplinary actions on educator licenses to the national clearinghouse administered by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC); requires the state board to post on its website all of its final disciplinary actions on educator licenses. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 2 and Title 49, Chapter 5.

As enacted, designates the state colleges of applied technology at Chattanooga as part of the statewide system of state colleges of applied technology and authorizes the board of regents to establish additional state colleges of applied technology or to combine existing state colleges of applied technology as needed to improve operational and administrative efficiencies. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, prohibits the use of corporal punishment against a student with a disability who has an IEP or a Section 504 plan, with certain exceptions. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, requires LEAs to allocate funding to educational facilities providing educational instructional services to students who are admitted to such facilities under order of a juvenile court. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 3.

As enacted, requires the department of education to establish a student support collaborative to review and define the roles and responsibilities for school social workers, school counselors, school psychologists, and school nurses; requires the basic education program (BEP) review committee to analyze the addition of a component for school social workers to the BEP funding formula and include such analysis in its 2018 annual report. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 49; Title 63 and Title 68, Chapter 1.

As enacted, allows the energy efficient schools council to award grants or loans for energy efficient capital outlay projects to charter schools and the achievement school district in addition to LEAs. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 17 and Section 49-4-940.

Kim H. White, UT board of trustees

Donnie Smith, UT board of trustees

Amy E. Miles, UT board of trustees

Lang Wiseman, UT board of trustees

As introduced, requires driver education courses to include an area of instruction on the impact of talking and texting on a mobile phone on a student's driving abilities. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.

Melvin J. Malone, UT board of trustees

William E. Evans, UT board of trustees

As enacted, revises various provisions of the Tennessee Higher Education Authorization Act of 2016, and provisions regarding the Tennessee higher education commission. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, updates references in vocational rehabilitation statutes to reflect current nomenclature for the division of rehabilitation services and the director of the vocation rehabilitation program; removes certain requirements concerning services offered by the division of rehabilitation services. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 11, Part 6; Title 49, Chapter 11, Part 7 and Title 49, Chapter 11, Part 8.

As introduced, revises various provisions of the Tennessee Community Schools Act; authorizes LEAs to collaborate with community partners to establish community schools; authorizes the department of education, subject to the availability of funding, to award transformational community schools grants to assist priority and focus schools in implementing a community school program as part of a school turnaround strategy. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 24.

As enacted, establishes requirements for issuance of diplomas, certificates of credit, and transcripts when a student has outstanding debts or obligations owed to a college or university. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1 and Section 49-9-108.

As introduced, enacts the "Complete College Tennessee Act." - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 7; Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 9 and Title 49, Chapter 8, Part 1.

Directs the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to study the overall effects on public education relative to having multiple school districts operating in the same county.

As introduced, requires any bus ordered or purchased on or after July 1, 2018, to be equipped with a restraint system; requires any bus that is currently used to transport students be equipped with a restraint system by July 1, 2023. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 21 and Title 55, Chapter 9, Part 6.

As introduced, requires efficiency audits to be performed for public systems of higher education and public institutions of higher education; creates the joint higher education efficiency audit committee. - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4; Title 12 and Title 49.

As enacted, returns the appointment of the executive director of the Tennessee higher education commission from the governor to the commission. - Amends TCA Section 49-7-205.

Raja J. Jubran, UT board of trustees

As enacted, authorizes commissioner of education and state treasurer, instead of the state board of education, to establish operational guidelines for the expenditure of the income from the special trust fund for education; makes other related revisions to the Volunteer Public Education Trust Fund Act of 1985. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 3, Part 4.

As introduced, requires a county school system to transfer all real and personal property it owns within the boundaries of the municipality that is creating or reactivating a municipal school system to the municipal school system. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

As enacted, extends homebound instruction to all students, instead of only pregnant students, who have a medical condition that prevents the student from attending regular classes. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 11.

Expresses support for a minimum mandatory school nurse to student ratio of 1:750, encourages LEAs to access grants to fund school nurses, and encourages school nurses to work in collaboration with other health care professionals.

As enacted, clarifies that a state university board president must file a statement of disclosure of interests form with the Tennessee Ethics Commission. - Amends TCA Section 8-50-501.

As introduced, requires each institution governed by the board of regents or a state university board to make the grievance procedure for its support staff employees available on its website. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 8.

As introduced, requires the state board of education to annually report by February 1 of each year to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives its findings and recommendations concerning transitional licensure options. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, enacts the "Teacher Residency Program Grant Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

Robert S. Eby, State Board of Education

As introduced, identifies when a member of a governing board has a conflict of interest involving a state institution of higher education governed by the board; prohibits a governing board member from accepting or soliciting anything of value in excess of $250 from an institution governed by the board; prohibits certain persons from serving as a governing board member. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, requires the commissioner of education to include in the department's annual report certain information about a traineeship and fellowship program for persons wanting to work in the education of students with disabilities. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, establishes timelines and requirements for the return of schools operated as part of the achievement school district (ASD) to LEAs; prohibits, after the effective date of the act, any school from being assigned to the ASD and the ASD from executing, approving, authorizing, or renewing any contract, charter school application, or charter agreement; abolishes the ASD as an organizational unit of the department of education on July 1, 2019 or when the last charter agreement with the ASD expires, whichever is later. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, prohibits certain persons and entities from requiring an individual to have a radio frequency identification device attached to, or implanted into, the individual in order to engage in employment with the persons or entities, or to enter a school or a school's grounds. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 37; Title 41; Title 49; Title 50; Title 62; Title 63 and Title 68.

As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Hunger-Free Students Act"; clarifies that state board of education rules that permit schools to impose sanctions against students owing a school debt do not authorize sanctions against students owing a meal debt. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 71.

Lang Wiseman, State Board of Education

As introduced, adds any postsecondary education benefit for which payments or assistance are provided by, or appropriated by funds of, any state or local governmental entity, and any use of money provided to the state through taxes, to the definition of "state or local public benefit" in the Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, changes from January 15 to February 1 the date by which the Tennessee higher education commission must submit its annual report regarding state workforce needs to committees of the general assembly; requires the commission to send the report to each state university board. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, allows home school students to participate in extracurricular activities at the public school in which the students are zoned to attend. - Amends TCA Section 49-6-3050.

As introduced, extends eligibility for an individualized education account to any student with an individualized education program (IEP). - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14.

As introduced, requires that an agreement be reached, and a memorandum of understanding be jointly prepared, by the local board of education and its professional employees on each of the terms and conditions of employment that are the subject of collaborative conferencing. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 5.

As introduced, defines, for purposes education laws, "classroom teacher" as an LEA employee who spends at least 75 percent of the employee's time working directly with students. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, requires THEC to post its annual in-state tuition and fee policy on its website within five business days of the policy's adoption; requires THEC to include an explanation as to how the tuition and fee ranges were chosen. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As enacted, prohibits alterations to a student's transcript unless the LEA, charter school, or virtual school has a written policy governing transcript alterations; prohibits an LEA from retaliating against an employee who brings unauthorized transcript alterations to the attention of school officials; provides penalty for violation. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 50 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

As introduced, consolidates provisions governing earthquake and fire drills. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68.

As introduced, enacts "The Lovin Law," which requires facilities having a capacity for occupancy of at least 500 people to have at least one functional AED for emergency use at all functions open to the public; requires LEAs to have at least one AED in each school. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68.

As introduced, requires the commissioner of education to perform a study regarding the weight of textbooks once every five years and permits study to be done more often if the commissioner determines it to be necessary. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, requires schools to count a student present when the student visits an institution of higher education as a prospective enrollee; requires that the student not be counted as absent, either excused or unexcused; requires local boards of education to adopt policies concerning crediting students present for visits to institutions of higher education as prospective enrollees. - Amends TCA Section 49-6-3018.

As enacted, changes the term of the chair of the state board of education from four years to two years. - Amends TCA Section 49-1-301(b).

As enacted, names the wrestling room at the Tennessee School for the Blind in honor of Frank Alexander.

As introduced, prohibits a state institution of higher education or a governing body of a state institution of higher education from entering into, or requiring an opposing party to enter into, a non-disclosure agreement during settlement or as a prerequisite to settlement for any act of harassment, assault, or discrimination. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, deletes the requirement that local school systems must sell all surplus property within 90 days of its being declared surplus; revises the advertising requirements for local school systems selling surplus property. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

As introduced, requires an LEA that unsuccessfully sues the state to pay reasonable costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney fees, attributable to the attorney general and reporter's defense of the state. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 6 and Title 49.

As introduced, prohibits a local board of education from increasing the salary or compensation for the director of schools to an amount higher than the salary of the governor. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, enacts the "Opportunity Scholarship Pilot Program." - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1.

As introduced, changes from January 15 to January 1, the date by which the commission must submit its annual report regarding state workforce need projections and credential production to the education and commerce and labor committees of the senate, the education administration and planning and business and utilities committees of the house of representatives, the governor, the board of regents, the University of Tennessee board of trustees, and the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, exempts employers and employees who have been convicted of certain disqualifying offenses from the prohibition on coming into direct contact with school children or children in a child care program, if 20 or more years have elapsed between the date of conviction of the offense and the date on which the criminal history records check is conducted. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 49.

As enacted, enacts the "Senator Douglas Henry Tennessee History Act". - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.

As enacted, enacts the Tennessee reconnect grant. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 9.

As enacted, revises provisions governing required fire drills. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68, Chapter 102, Part 1.

As enacted, creates the Tennessee middle college scholarship, funded by net lottery proceeds. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4.

As enacted, revises provisions governing the money teachers receive for classroom instruction materials. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 3.

As enacted, decreases the amount of time that teachers are required to teach math or science in a public school in order to be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE teacher’s scholarship from two years to one year for each year of receipt of the scholarship. - Amends TCA Section 49-4-936.

As enacted, revises compensation provisions and other provisions regarding substitute teachers. - Amends TCA Section 49-3-312.

As enacted, revises various provisions of the Individualized Education Act. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, establishes a school transportation supervisor program for the monitoring and oversight of transportation services for local education authorities and charter schools; requires new school bus drivers to complete a training program prior to transporting students; requires a driver to be at least 25 years of age to receive an initial school bus driver license endorsement. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 21; Section 55-50-302 and Title 55, Chapter 9, Part 6.

As enacted, establishes certain requirements regarding records of the state university and community college system and the University of Tennessee system relative to investment programs. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, removes the 90-day limitation on a retired member of the Tennessee consolidated retirement system working as a substitute teacher. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 36 and Title 49.

As enacted, authorizes local education agencies and nonpublic schools to maintain opioid antagonists in schools. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 63.

As enacted, revises provisions governing complaint investigations and resolutions under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) Act. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 15.

As introduced, enacts the "K-12 Block Grant Act," which distributes block grants to each LEA to improve the quality of education; appropriates $250 million from excess state tax revenues over collected in fiscal years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 for K-12 block grants. - Amends TCA Title 9 and Title 49.

As introduced, creates a tuition assistance program from proceeds of the state lottery to develop a two-year pilot program that allows Fairview High School students to participate in dual enrollment at Columbia State Community College and earn an associate degree in advanced manufacturing courses. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4.

As introduced, specifies that semester hours earned in ROTC courses by ROTC students do not count toward the semester hour limitation for receipt of the Tennessee HOPE scholarship; excludes grades received in ROTC courses from the calculation of an ROTC student's grade point average for Tennessee HOPE scholarship purposes. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 9.

As enacted, authorizes the board of regents, the trustees of the University of Tennessee, and state university board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies regulating smoking on property owned or operated by the institution; provided, that such policies do not permit smoking in any location where smoking is otherwise prohibited by law. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 39, Chapter 17; Title 39, Chapter 15 and Title 49.

As enacted, revises present law concerning the use of assessment data. - Amends TCA Section 10-7-504; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 3 and Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 6.

As enacted, authorizes an LEA to develop and adopt, in consultation with the appropriate local law enforcement agency, a policy that authorizes a school security officer employed by the LEA to patrol within a one-mile radius of the security officer's assigned school, but not to exceed the boundaries of the assigned school's LEA. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

As enacted, requires the department of education to review all current laws and policies related to exclusionary discipline practices in public schools for students in pre-kindergarten through kindergarten and to develop guidelines and standards for alternatives to exclusionary discipline practices based on the findings of the review; establishes other related requirements. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 10; Title 49, Chapter 2; Title 49, Chapter 5 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

As enacted, requires the department of education to develop, and the state board to adopt, rules to ensure the education of students incarcerated in detention centers licensed by the department of children's services by the LEA in which the detention center is located. - Amends TCA Title 37, Chapter 5, Part 1; Title 37, Chapter 5, Part 5 and Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 30.

Mike Edwards, State Board of Education

Elissa Kim, State Board of Education

As introduced, allows LEAs to choose whether to do payroll deduction of professional employees' organization dues; requires LEAs making payroll deduction of dues for one professional employees' organization to make payroll deduction of dues available to members of any professional employees' organization; requires an employee to request such deduction; allows an employee to rescind the authorization for a payroll deduction of dues at any time. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 2 and Title 49, Chapter 5.

As introduced, exempts certain students from payment of out-of-state tuition at state institutions of higher education. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 58; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, reduces from 30 to 25 the number of full-time creditable service years a retired schoolteacher must have served in a Tennessee public school for the retired schoolteacher's child to qualify for a tuition discount. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50 and Title 49, Chapter 7.

As enacted, authorizes rules and policies permitting the administration of medications for adrenal insufficiency in schools. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 63.

As introduced, requires the office of research and education accountability to study the Response to Instruction and Intervention framework and submit a report on its implementation in elementary schools to the members of the education committee of the senate and the education administration and planning committee of the house of representatives no later than July 1, 2018. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 2; Title 49, Chapter 3; Title 49, Chapter 5 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

As introduced, requires state institutions of higher education that enroll students who receive state financial aid to annually provide the student with an estimate of the total amount of education loans taken out by the student and potential payoff estimate. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7.

As introduced, requires the attorney general and counsel for a public institution of higher education that is a party to pending litigation to report to the institution's governing board at its regular meetings on the litigation and its status. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, decreases from 30 to 10 the number of days a municipal corporation must wait before enforcing or ceasing to enforce traffic ordinances on the campus of a state institution within its borders after receiving a request from the institution. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, revises various provisions in higher education to include all state governing boards and not just the board of regents or the UT system due to the implementation of the FOCUS Act. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 14; Section 49-7-118 and Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 30.

As enacted, authorizes a school counselor to refer or help facilitate a referral of a parent or legal guardian's student to a counselor or therapist for mental health assessments or services. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 49 and Title 63.

As enacted, moves up the deadline for the state board of education to release the teacher preparation training report from November 1 of each year to February 15 of each year. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 5.

As enacted, makes it the duty of the state board of education to issue professional licenses upon the work done in standard teacher-training institutions, colleges, and universities that must be approved by the state board of education after inspection as may be provided by the board. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1 and Title 49, Chapter 5.

As introduced, permits students at William R. Moore college of technology to be eligible for the Tennessee Promise scholarship if they meet all requirements for the scholarship or grant. - Amends TCA Section 49-4-708 and Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 9.

As introduced, increases the number of BEP funded full-time public school nurse positions from one for every 3,000 students to one for every 750 students; increases the number of full-time public school nurses considered sufficient for the public school nurse program to adequately provide services from one nurse for every 3,000 students to one nurse for every 750 students. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68, Chapter 1, Part 12.

As introduced, allows the commissioner to assign certain schools or grade configurations within certain schools to the ASD unless the parents of 60 percent of the children enrolled at the school object by signing a petition, at which time the LEA may agree to certain alternate interventions for the school. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 6.

As introduced, specifies that the governing boards of institutions of higher education must make a report on any program terminations to the education committee of the senate and education administration and planning committee of the house of representatives by July 1 of each year. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, grants LEAs the same flexibility as public charter schools to allow the LEAs to be more creative and innovative, including the authority to apply for the waiver of laws and state board rules. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 13; Title 49, Chapter 2; Title 49, Chapter 3; Title 49, Chapter 5 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

As introduced, requires all public high schools to provide free feminine hygiene products. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68.

As introduced, prohibits an LEA from closing a school after July 1, 2017; requires the office of research and education accountability (OREA) to conduct a five-year study on the impact of the students and a community when the LEA closes a school; requires OREA to report to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives no later than March 1, 2022. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, removes from the definition of marijuana the requirement that an institution of higher education be certified by the drug enforcement agency to work with low-cannabidiol cannabis oil. - Amends TCA Section 39-17-402 and Chapter 936 of the Public Acts of 2014.

As introduced, requires principals of schools built before June 19, 1986, to flush fixtures used for drinking water and food preparation for at least 60 seconds before the arrival of children each school day. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68.

As introduced, specifies that a principal's, or teacher's, report of the names of all students who have withdrawn from the school, or who have accumulated five unexcused absences, must be submitted to the director of schools within 10 days, rather than promptly. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, awards one hour of community service credit to a recipient of the Tennessee Promise Scholarship for each hour that the recipient volunteers with the Keep Tennessee Beautiful program, which is sponsored by the department of transportation; requires TSAC to promulgate by rule the documentation that the student must obtain from the Keep Tennessee Beautiful program in order to obtain community service credit. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, allows students who have been diagnosed with a disability by a licensed physician or psychologist to be considered an eligible student for the Individualized Education Act. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14.

As introduced, creates a timeline for the commissioner of education to transition schools from the operation of the achievement school district (ASD) back to the local education agency if the ASD-operated school fails to improve student achievement. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Confirms the appointment of persons to the state university board of Tennessee Technological University.

Confirms the appointment of persons to the state university board of Tennessee State University.

Confirms the appointment of persons to the state university board of East Tennessee State University.

As enacted, excludes from the definition of marijuana, cannabis oil containing the substance cannabidiol, with less than 0.6 percent THC, including the necessary seeds and plants, when manufactured, processed, transferred, dispensed, or possessed by certain four-year institutions of higher education in this state as part of clinical research studies on the treatment of intractable seizures, cancer, or other diseases. - Amends TCA Section 39-17-402 and Chapter 936 of the Public Acts of 2014.

As enacted, prohibits the expenditure of state funds by the University of Tennessee to promote the use of gender neutral pronouns, to promote or inhibit the celebration of religious holidays, or to fund or support sex week; specifies that all funds in the budget of the office for diversity and inclusion at UT Knoxville, for fiscal year 2016-2017, be reallocated in the university's budget and used by the university solely for scholarships to be awarded through a minority engineering scholarship program; any such funds that are not used for minority engineering scholarships in fiscal year 2016-2017 will remain in the scholarship program for use in future fiscal years. - Amends TCA Title 9 and Title 49.

As enacted, authorizes local boards of education in Pickett and Wayne counties to adopt a policy allowing the director of schools, in consultation with the principal of each school, to authorize and select employees who may carry a concealed handgun within and on the grounds of the school to which the person is assigned; establishes related requirements. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

As enacted, requires the department to develop procedures for identifying characteristics of dyslexia through the universal screening process required by the existing RTI2 framework or other available means; requires every LEA to implement the dyslexia screening procedures; specifies that dyslexia screening may be requested for any student by the student's parent or guardian, teacher, counselor, or school psychologist; creates the dyslexia advisory council. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29, Part 2 and Title 49.

As enacted, requires each local education agency (LEA) that provides transportation services to submit to the department the names of persons authorized to drive a school bus; requires the department to maintain a database of all those persons authorized to drive a school bus and notify the appropriate LEA if the driver license or driving privileges of a listed person have been suspended or revoked; imposes a fee of $20.00 for each school bus endorsement or renewal thereof. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 21; Title 55, Chapter 50; Title 55, Chapter 52 and Title 71, Chapter 3, Part 5.

As enacted, requires the executive director of THEC to convene a task force to examine the statutory tuition discount and waiver programs offered at public institutions of higher education in Tennessee. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 58; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As enacted, requires the department of education, when publishing the list of priority schools, to list all schools in the state in order by success rate from the highest to the lowest; and list all schools in each county and each LEA in order by success rate from the highest to the lowest. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 6.

As enacted, revises various provisions governing Tennessee STEP UP scholarships. - Amends TCA Section 49-4-943.

As enacted, restructures the board of regents; establishes state university boards of trustees; makes other changes necessary to effectuate the restructuring; revises the composition of the Tennessee higher education commission - Amends TCA Section 12-3-102; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As enacted, requires public institutions of higher education to accept from a student proof of the student's prior or current military service as proof of any immunization required of the student for enrollment at the institution. - Amends TCA Section 49-7-124.

As enacted, encourages all public institutions of higher education to offer instruction aimed at increasing the awareness and prevention of hate crime offenses, sexual battery, sexual harassment, and date rape to all entering freshmen during orientation or introductory studies; requires each public institution of higher education to require all entering freshmen, during orientation or introductory studies, to receive instruction aimed at increasing the awareness and prevention of sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual harassment, and date rape. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As enacted, authorizes use of individual education account funds for contributions to an achieving a better life experience (ABLE) account for the benefit of a participating student; specifies that funds may only be used for the student's education expenses; requires that all revenues collected by the ABLE program remain with the program; revises other provisions regarding the program. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14 and Title 71, Chapter 4, Part 8.

As enacted, enacts the "Student Online Personal Protection Act". - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, grants in-state tuition and fees at public higher education institutions to certain dependent children of military parents regardless of place of residency if the military parent perished as the result of a targeted attack that occurred in Tennessee. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As enacted, authorizes the board or governing entity, or the chief administrative officer, of a private K-12 school or private institution of higher education to implement a handgun carry policy that either allows or prohibits the carrying of a handgun on the grounds or buildings of a private K-12 school or private university by a person who has a handgun carry permit. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1 and Title 49, Chapter 50, Part 8.

As enacted, requires every elementary and secondary school to post the toll-free telephone number operated by the department of children's services to receive reports of child abuse or neglect in a clearly visible location in a public area that is readily accessible to students. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, extends the Tennessee Promise scholarship to dependents of Tennessee military parents who are stationed outside of the state. - Amends TCA Section 49-4-708.

As enacted, revises provisions regarding reporting of nonimmigrant students by higher education institutions; authorizes the commissioner of safety to issue a subpoena for valid law enforcement purposes to an institution of higher education in this state to compel the production of certain information with regard to nonimmigrant students possessing either an F-1 or M-1 student visa for instruction at the institution. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38 and Title 49.

As enacted, revises provisions governing the powers of the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee system. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, requires all LEA personnel to verify that the LEA's policy on use of the Internet has been read prior to accepting an employment contract or at the renewal of an employment contract. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, requires students in public schools and public institutions of higher education to use restrooms and locker rooms that are assigned to persons of the same sex as that shown on the students' birth certificates. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, requires THEC and the governing bodies of higher education systems and institutions to include hierarchical organizational charts in the budget documents presented to the finance, ways and means committees of the senate and house. - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4; Title 12 and Title 49.

As introduced, requires department to publish its annual report concerning virtual schools on the department's web site. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, requires that a bus that is used exclusively for the transportation of students be registered as a passenger motor vehicle instead of a motor vehicle operating for hire. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 21 and Title 55, Chapter 4.

As introduced, creates a task force to study the effects of concussions on student athletes in high school and college. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7.

As enacted, requires THEC to establish and ensure that all postsecondary institutions cooperatively provide for an integrated system of postsecondary education; directs THEC to maintain and publish on its web site a list of postsecondary educational institutions that possess certain characteristics. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, provides for an annual authorizer fee to be paid to the state board if the state board is the chartering authority of a charter school. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 13.

As introduced, prohibits school districts and state special schools from paying through payroll deduction their professional employees' dues to a professional employee association. - Amends TCA Section 8-23-204 and Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 6.

As introduced, grants a tenured teacher a $5,000 bonus, to be paid from the education trust fund, if the teacher receives a performance evaluation of "above expectations" or better for at least four years during any five-year period after the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year; excludes supervisors, principals, and directors of schools from eligibility for such bonus. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 5.

As enacted, removes certain requirements governing remand to alternative schools and expulsion for students convicted of violent felonies. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6; Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 2 and Title 49, Chapter 5.

As enacted, allows a student attending a Tennessee school for the first time rather than attending a Tennessee public school for the first time to be eligible for an individualized education account, if the student also meets other requirements; allows the department of education to remit funds to individualized education accounts at least quarterly rather than quarterly. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14.

As introduced, requires a state employee to repay the cost of a tuition and fee waiver at a public institution of higher education if the student withdraws or fails the course in which the state employee enrolled with the waiver; requires the amount of the waiver be paid before enrolling in another course at a public institution of higher education, unless the state employee shows that the withdrawal or failure was the result of a documented medical or personal reason. - Amends TCA Section 8-50-114; Title 49, Chapter 8; Title 49, Chapter 9 and Title 49, Chapter 7.

As enacted, names the new high school to be constructed for the Tennessee School for the Deaf in honor of Alan J. Mealka.

As introduced, allows full-time law enforcement officers and firefighters to enroll in one course tuition-free at any state-supported college or university. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7.

As introduced, requires the department to notify the general assembly within 60 days of any consolidation of two or more school districts. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, prohibits virtual schools. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Student Free Speech Protection Act"; requires the governing boards of each state institution to adopt the freedom of speech and expression policy to protect student speech and activity. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1.

As introduced, prohibits institutions of higher learning and senior high schools from disciplining students who seek medical assistance for drug overdoses; prohibits such institutions and schools from sanctioning any student organization or team in which the student who is experiencing the overdose or seeking medical assistance for another is a member. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, makes various revisions to the ASD, including requiring schools assigned to the ASD on or after July 1, 2016, be in the bottom 2.5 percent of schools. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 3 and Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 6.

As introduced, requires THEC to publish in the Tennessee Postsecondary Education Fact Book information TSAC and THEC collect annually on the Tennessee Promise scholarship program so that it is readily available to the public. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 2.

As introduced, requires TSAC to annually prepare a status report for the governor and general assembly on the Tennessee HOPE foster child tuition grant program. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, creates a franchise and excise tax credit for donation of funds to LEAs and public schools to fund certain educational expenditures. - Amends TCA Title 49; Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 20 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 21.

As introduced, limits spending by the University of Tennessee on diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs to $2,500,000 per year; requires an annual written report to the general assembly on such expenditures; prohibits employees working in diversity offices from engaging in certain activities; prohibits employees working primarily in other areas from working on diversity, multicultural, and sustainability programs. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, requires a charter school operator to demonstrate certain student achievement levels before a charter school operator is authorized to operate any other public charter school within either the ASD or an LEA. - Amends TCA Section 49-1-614 and Title 49, Chapter 13.

As introduced, reconstitutes the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee system. - Amends TCA Section 49-9-201; Section 49-9-202; Section 49-9-203; Section 49-9-204; Section 49-9-205 and Section 49-9-206.

As introduced, creates eligibility requirements for applicants to a teacher training program; requires applicants to attain a minimum ACT or GED score and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or graduate with an associate degree with a cumulative grade point average of a 3.0 for all college coursework. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 56.

As introduced, requires a parent of any student who is withdrawn from school mid-school year to be home schooled to notify the director of schools of the parent's intention to home school the student. - Amends TCA Section 49-6-3050.

As introduced, clarifies that tuition credits or refunds during military service are to be given to students called to active duty while attending Tennessee colleges of applied technology as well as state universities and community colleges. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, requires LEAs to maintain a record of when, why, and by whom student educational records or personally identifiable information is accessed; requires authentication for access of electronic records; requires notification of a student's parent or guardian of access of the student's records. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1 and Title 49, Chapter 2.

As introduced, requires the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee systems to allow reasonable time for public comments at regularly scheduled board meetings. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, requires schools assigned by the commissioner of education to the achievement school district (ASD) to serve all grades the school served before its assignment to the ASD. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, requires local boards of education to admit students from outside their respective local school systems without the approval of the LEA; requires local boards of education to arrange for the transfer of students residing within their systems to schools located outside of their districts; provides for the mandatory transfer of students if the receiving LEA has the available space, teachers, and transportation. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 31.

As introduced, allows a retired law enforcement officer with 25 years creditable service in any law enforcement agency in the state to enroll in one class per semester at any state institution of higher learning without paying tuition and fees. - Amends TCA Section 8-50-114.

As introduced, requires coaches at schools and other organizations conducting football programs to meet minimum standards. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 55.

As introduced, allows the commissioner to assign certain schools or grade configurations within certain schools to the ASD unless the parents of 60 percent of the children enrolled at the school object by petition, at which time the commissioner and the LEA may agree to certain alternate interventions for the school. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 6.

As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Exemplary Educator Academy Act." - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.

As introduced, prohibits the board of regents from approving mandatory fees for institutions to supply textbooks to students. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, enacts the "Local School District Empowerment Act," which provides for reestablishment of elected office of school superintendent for county or city school systems upon two-thirds vote of county or city governing body and approval in an election on the question by the voters in 10 LEAs as a pilot program to allow the department to study the relevant procedures of reestablishing the office; provides for qualifications of candidates; adjusts duties of the local board of education in county or city school systems electing superintendents. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, eliminates out-of-state tuition and fees at community colleges. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 8.

As introduced, requires a local board of education to hire legal counsel, finance staff, and communications staff for the LEA; specifies that such staff will not be controlled or managed by the director of schools. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 2.

As introduced, extends from three years to 10 years the time in which a veteran must enroll in a public institution of higher education after discharge to be exempt from paying out-of-state tuition or fees. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 13.

As introduced, requires that the state and local per pupil share of funding for a charter school student who returns to an LEA-operated school be withheld from future payments to the charter school. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 3; Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 13 and Title 49, Chapter 2.

As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Choice & Opportunity Scholarship Act." - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1.

As introduced, requires a public college or university to hold a public meeting on a topic of interest to students, alumni, faculty, or staff with an opportunity for public comment if the university receives a petition of at least 5,000 signatures. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, requires all intercollegiate women's athletic teams at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to be called the "Lady Volunteers" or "Lady Vols" for all official school purposes. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, establishes parents’ right to various reasonable accommodations; requires the LEA to provide annual notice of these rights to the parents, teachers, and staff of an LEA. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, requires charter schools authorized by the achievement school district (ASD) to conduct an initial student application period of at least 30 days; specifies that if the ASD authorizes a charter school, the ASD will receive an annual authorizer fee of up to three percent of the charter school's per student state and local funding. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, allows a child of a military parent to be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship if the child is classified as an in-state student at the time of application. - Amends TCA Section 49-4-926.

As enacted, permits students at the University of Memphis who are residents of another state in a county lying immediately adjacent to Shelby County or who have residences within 30 miles of the university to attend without paying out-of-state tuition. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 8, Part 1.

As enacted, enacts the "State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement Act." - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7.

As enacted, prohibits the placement of a priority school in the achievement school district if, after the school is identified as a priority school, but before the commissioner determines that the school should be assigned to the achievement school district the school demonstrates student achievement growth at a level of "above expectations" or greater, as represented by TVAAS. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, revises provisions governing authorization for barber and cosmetology schools for purposes of meeting federal student financial aid eligibility requirements. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 62.

As enacted, allows students to self-administer enzymes for cystic fibrosis or pancreatic insufficiency in certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, allows the governing body of a charter school to choose the insurance plans offered to the school's teachers and other full-time permanent employees; removes requirement that charter school employees participate in the state group insurance plan. - Amends TCA Section 49-13-119.

As enacted, prohibits an LEA from requiring more than the minimum graduation requirements for students enrolling or transferring in the 11th grade or later who are in the custody of the department of children's services to receive a full diploma. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 60.

As enacted, requires the commissioner of education, by October 1 of the year prior to the public identification of priority schools, to notify any school and its respective LEA if the school is among the bottom 10 percent of schools in overall achievement as determined by the performance standards and other criteria set by the state board. - Amends TCA Section 49-1-602.

Opposes a "National School Board."

As enacted, prohibits the state board from denying instructional leadership licensure based solely on the applicant completing a leadership preparation program located outside of this state. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 5.

As enacted, prohibits schools from requiring students or parents to provide information on firearm ownership; prohibits LEAs from requiring employees to provide information on firearm ownership; prohibits adverse disciplinary or employment action based on information of firearm ownership that is voluntarily provided. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, changes, from "prior to June 15" to "within five business days following the last instructional day for the school year" the time within which notices of dismissal or failure of re-election must be provided to teachers. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As enacted, requires certain institutions to report nonimmigrant student enrollment to the department of safety. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38 and Title 49.

As enacted, requires fiscal capacity for BEP purposes of each LEA to be set annually by May 1 before the next school year begins; prohibits any change in any LEA's fiscal capacity after it is set. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 3, Part 3.

As enacted, authorizes a school principal to excuse students for non-school-sponsored extracurricular activities; requires the student to submit to the school documentation of the activity and the parents to submit a written request to the principal at least seven business days prior to the student’s requested excused absence. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 30.

As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee Teaching Evaluation Enhancement Act." - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 3 and Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 5.

As introduced, exempts certain students from payment of out-of-state tuition at state institutions of higher education. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 58; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

As introduced, allows students who are eligible for the Tennessee Promise scholarship, but who cannot enroll in and attend college in the fall semester after completion of high school because of certain military commitments, to enroll in and attend college in the first term beginning after completion of the student's military commitments without loss of Promise scholarship eligibility. - Amends TCA Section 49-4-708.

William Troutt, State Board of Education

As introduced, requires that each step of the state salary schedule for licensed personnel be at least equal to the 2012–2013 schedule increased by one and one-half percent; adds other revisions to the computation of the schedule. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Wendy Tucker, State Board of Education

As introduced, requires the superintendent of the achievement school district to make annual financial disclosures; requires that salaries of employees of the achievement school district be included in public lists of salaries of state employees. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10, Part 1; Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 5 and Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 6.

As introduced, deletes statement that nothing in the Professional Educators Collaborative Conference Act of 2011, requires collaborative conferencing. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, updates the lottery scholarship program's list of regional accrediting associations to reflect recent changes in the identities of the associations. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Lillian Hartgrove, State Board of Education

As enacted, removes obsolete and contradictory language concerning temporary superintendents of schools. - Amends TCA Section 8-48-206.

As introduced, clarifies that nothing in the Virtual Schools Act prohibits a virtual school from reimbursing families for reasonable costs, instead of any costs, associated with their Internet connections for use in the virtual school program. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 16, Part 2.

As introduced, prohibits corporal punishment in public schools. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 39 and Title 49.

As introduced, revises the BEP to include funding for instructional position components at 75 percent state share instead of 70 percent; reinstates the TACIR index to determine fiscal capacity and the cost differential factor at 100 percent instead of 50 percent; funds English language learners at one teacher to 20 students and one translator to 200 students instead of 1:30 and 1:300; funds health insurance for local education employees at 50 percent state share instead of 45 percent, and for 12 months instead of 10 months. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 3.

As introduced, permits students at William R. Moore college of technology to be eligible for the Tennessee Promise scholarship, the Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grant, or the Wilder-Naifeh reconnect grant if they meet all requirements for the scholarship or grant. - Amends TCA Section 49-4-708 and Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 9.

As introduced, requires THEC to report needed revisions, additions, or deletions to the higher education funding formula identified by its review committee to the chair of the education committee of the senate and the chair of the education administration and planning committee of the house. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, modifies the composition of the members of the board from nine appointed members to nine members elected by the people during the regular November elections; authorizes the governor to fill any vacancies on the board, subject to confirmation by the senate. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 49.

As introduced, authorizes a referendum in order to renew the contract of a director of schools. - Amends TCA Title 49.

As introduced, requires the BEP funding formula to provide funding for 12 months of local education employees' medical insurance premiums. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 27, Part 3; Title 49, Chapter 3, Part 3 and Section 49-2-209.

As introduced, requires a person licensed as an apprentice occupational education teacher who is seeking to obtain a professional occupational education license to successfully complete a teacher education program of nine semester hours, unless the teacher met this requirement at the time of employment. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 11 and Title 49, Chapter 5.

As introduced, permits students enrolled in an apprentice training program to be eligible for the Tennessee Promise scholarship if the students meet all requirements for the scholarship. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 7 and Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 9.

As introduced, expands the delinquent acts for which a student's school shall be notified; transfers duty to notify the LEA from the child's parent to the clerk of the juvenile or general sessions court. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

As introduced, establishes the method for calculating a high school's graduation rate. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 2 and Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 60.

As introduced, removes obsolete and contradictory language concerning temporary superintendents of schools. - Amends TCA Section 8-48-206.

Roy Harmon, Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation Board of Directors