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HB0708 • 2026

Education, State Board of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 3 and Title 49, Chapter 5, relative to the state board of education's subpoena power.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Cepicky, White
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 376
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Expanding State Board of Education's Subpoena Power

This bill gives the Tennessee state board of education more power to issue subpoenas for people and items when investigating schools with 'D' or 'F' grades and educators whose licenses are being reviewed.

What This Bill Does

  • Gives the chair or a person chosen by the chair of the state board of education the right to issue subpoenas (orders) for people to come to meetings or give over items like papers, videos, or recordings.
  • Allows the state board to use these subpoenas when looking into schools that got 'D' or 'F' grades and during investigations about educators’ licenses.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local education agencies operating public schools with low letter grades ('D' or 'F').
  • Public charter schools receiving low letter grades ('D' or 'F').
  • Educators whose licenses are being investigated by the state board of education.

Terms To Know

Subpoena
A legal order that requires someone to appear in court or produce evidence for a hearing.
Accountability Hearing
A meeting where the state board of education reviews and discusses issues with schools, especially those with low performance grades.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how long these subpoenas can be in effect.
  • It is unclear what specific consequences there are for failing to comply with a subpoena issued by the state board of education.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 376

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2025

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 376

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 67, Nays 20, PNV 0

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 4/16/2025

  13. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  14. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/14/2025

  15. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  16. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 4/1/2025

  18. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 4/1/2025

  19. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/25/2025

  20. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/25/2025

  21. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/18/2025

  22. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/18/2025

  23. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025

  24. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/11/2025

  25. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  26. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/4/2025

  27. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/4/25

  28. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  29. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  30. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 2/24/2025

  31. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 2/25/2025

  32. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  33. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Committee

  34. 2025-02-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/19/2025

  35. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/18/2025

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/19/2025

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  43. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 688
By White

HOUSE BILL 708
By Cepicky

HB0708
001963
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 3 and Title 49,
Chapter 5, relative to the state board of
education's subpoena power.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-415, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting:
The chair of the state board of education, or the chair's designee, may issue
subpoenas for the appearance of persons or the production of items, including, but not
limited to, documents; videos; and audio recordings, that the chair, or the chair's
designee, considers material or relevant to:
(1) An investigation being conducted by the state board, within or outside
of this state, pursuant to the state board's authority to revoke, suspend, refuse to
issue, or renew a license or formally reprimand a licensed educator; or
(2) An accountability hearing being conducted by the state board in
accordance with § 49-3-112(c) for a local education agency operating a public
school, or a public charter school, receiving a "D" or "F" letter grade.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.