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HB0778 • 2026

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8 and Title 49, relative to establishing an incentive program for educators who have fifteen or more years' experience in education.

Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
McKenzie, Akbari
Last action
2026-03-25
Official status
Taken off notice for cal. in Education Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how OREA's recommendations will be implemented after December 31, 2025.

Incentive Program for Experienced Educators

This bill requires OREA to study and recommend an incentive program for educators with at least fifteen years of experience.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) to study an incentive program for experienced educators.
  • Includes recommendations on how to award bonuses or salary increases based on years of service.
  • Considers all combined years of service, even if an educator has taken time off for personal reasons.
  • Excludes temporary absences due to approved leave from counting as breaks in service.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Educators with fifteen or more years of experience
  • OREA and the education committees of both houses

Terms To Know

Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA)
The agency that will study and make recommendations for an incentive program.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify the exact form or details of the incentives.
  • It is unclear how OREA's findings will be implemented after December 31, 2025.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to SB1168

Plain English: This amendment directs an office to study and recommend ways to create incentives for experienced educators in Tennessee.

  • The Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) will conduct a study on creating an incentive program for educators with at least fifteen years of experience.
  • The study may consider awarding bonuses or salary increases based on years of service, including combined years of service for those who have taken breaks to return to teaching later.
  • Temporary absences due to military service, health issues, family reasons, and other approved leaves will not be counted as a break in service.
  • The amendment does not specify the exact details or timeline of how incentives would be implemented after the study is completed.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal. in Education Committee

  2. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/24/2026

  3. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/24/2026

  4. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/17/2026

  5. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/17/2026

  6. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026

  7. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026

  8. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/10/2026

  9. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/3/2026

  10. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 2/17/2026

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  16. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  17. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0287)

  18. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2025

  19. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2025

  21. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  22. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  23. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/26/2025

  24. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  25. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  26. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee

  27. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  28. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  29. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  30. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  31. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 15, 2025, THE SE
NATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1168, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 authorizes, a
s part of the study, OREA
to
consider
all of the following:



A compensation-based structure for awarding bonuses or salary increases to educators based on their years of service
.



Including, for educators who have resigned or retired from teaching only to return to teaching at a later date, all combined years of service spent as an educator in the calculation of the educator's years of service
.



Excluding temporary absences in employment due to an educator's use of approved leave for military service, maternity, adoption, recuperation of health, or death of a relative, from being considered a break in service
.



Whether an educator has served as an educator in other states
.



Including, for educators who transition from a teaching role to another field or role in the school system, all years of service provided by the educator to the school system through the alternative field or role in the calculation of the educator's years of service, in addition to their years of service as an educator.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1168
By Akbari

HOUSE BILL 778
By McKenzie

HB0778
002802
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8 and
Title 49, relative to establishing an incentive
program for educators who have fifteen or more
years' experience in education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1.
The office of research and education accountability (OREA), in the office of the
comptroller of the treasury, shall study and make recommendations for the
implementation of an incentive program for educators who have fifteen (15) or more
years' experience in education. OREA shall report its findings and recommendations for
implementation of the incentive program to the education committee of the senate and
the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over educator benefits
by December 31, 2025.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.