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HB0865 • 2026

Nurses, Nursing

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49 and Title 63, relative to schools of nursing.

Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Hicks T, Crowe
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 435
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effective date of July 1, 2025, means changes won't take place immediately.

Tennessee Nursing Education Act

This law changes requirements for practical nursing programs in Tennessee's public higher education institutions.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires students to meet high school diploma or equivalent qualifications before enrolling in a practical nursing program.
  • Allows high school students as early as freshman year to access pre-practical nursing and practical nursing curricula through dual enrollment grants.
  • Permits students who complete a practical nursing program to take the NCLEX-PN exam upon graduation, provided they meet age requirements set by national standards.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students interested in enrolling in practical nursing programs at public colleges or universities in Tennessee.
  • High school students who want to start their nursing education early through dual enrollment programs.
  • Public institutions of higher education governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents that offer practical nursing programs.

Terms To Know

NCLEX-PN
National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses, a test required to become licensed as a practical nurse in the United States.
Dual Enrollment Grant
A program that allows high school students to take college courses and earn both high school and college credits simultaneously.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how schools will implement the dual enrollment programs or provide access to curricula for freshmen.
  • It is unclear what additional requirements institutions may have beyond meeting high school diploma qualifications.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0865

Plain English: The amendment allows students to enroll in practical nursing programs and dual enrollment programs at public institutions governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents if they meet certain requirements.

  • Students can now enroll in practical nursing programs at public higher education institutions if they have a high school diploma or equivalent, meet the institution's admission criteria, and are admitted into the program.
  • Public institutions can offer dual enrollment programs for pre-practical nursing and practical nursing to high school students who are in tenth grade or above, meet the institution’s requirements, and are accepted into the program.
  • Students completing a practical nursing program will be allowed to take the national council licensure exam for practical nurses (NCLEX-PN).
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how these changes will be implemented or enforced.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0644

Plain English: The amendment allows students to enroll in practical nursing programs at certain Tennessee schools if they meet specific requirements and permits dual enrollment for high school students.

  • Allows a student who meets high school graduation or equivalent qualifications, the institution's admission requirements, and is admitted by the institution to enroll in a practical nursing program offered by public institutions governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.
  • Permits these same institutions to offer dual enrollment programs for pre-practical nursing and practical nursing to high school students in 10th grade or higher who meet the institution's admission requirements and are admitted into the program.
  • Enables a student enrolled in a practical nursing program to take the national council licensure exam for practical nurses upon completing the program.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how these changes will be implemented or enforced, which may leave some questions unanswered.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 435

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 435

  4. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 33, Nays 0 (Amendment 1 - HA0246)

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/22/2025

  14. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 0

  15. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0246)

  16. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  17. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  18. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025

  19. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  20. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/14/2025

  21. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Government Operations Committee to 4/14/2025

  22. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/7/2025

  23. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee

  24. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  29. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  30. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0161)

  31. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2025

  32. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  33. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/26/2025

  34. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  36. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  37. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  38. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  40. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  41. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee

  42. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  44. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides the powers and duties for the board of nurs
ing. One such duty is to prescribe the minimum curricula and minimum standards for schools of nursing and for courses of training preparing persons for nursing licensure, and provide for surveys of such schools or an affiliation of schools and courses.
F
or practical nursing programs offered by a public institution of higher education, the board must require a minimum of 1,296 clock hours or an equivalent number of credit hours. This bill adds that the board must also permit a student of the practical nu
r
sing program to sit for the national council licensure exam for practical nurses (NCLEX-PN) upon completion of the practical nursing program, as long as the student meets the NCLEX-PN minimum age requirements as set by the national council of state boards

of nursing, which is currently 18.

For practical nursing programs offered by a public institution of higher education, this bill requires the board to require both of the following:



That students enrolled in a practical nursing program meet the qualifications for a high school diploma or the equivalent.



That practical nursing program students have access to pre-practical nursing or practical nursing program curricula starting as early as freshman year of high school, or as allowable by the dual enrollment grant available to qualified students.

ON MARCH 26, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 644, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require the board of nursing to permit all of the following:



A student to enroll in a practical nursing program offered by a public institution of higher education governed by the Tennessee board of regents if the student (i) meets the qualifications for a high school diploma or its equivalent; (ii) meets the institution's admission requirements for the program; and (iii) is admitted by the institution into the program.



A public institution of higher education governed by the Tennessee board of regents to offer dual enrollment programs in pre-practical nursing and practical nursing to students enrolled in high school, if the student (i) is in the tenth grade or a higher grade level; (ii) meets the institution's admission requirements for the dual enrollment program; and (iii) is admitted by the institution into the dual enrollment program.



A student enrolled in a practical nursing program to sit for the national council licensure exam for practical nurses (NCLEX-PN) upon completion of a practical nursing program.

ON APRIL 21, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 644 FOR HOU
SE BILL 865, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 644, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 incorporates the provisions of Senate Amendment #1 and adds authorization for the
department of health
t
o promulgate rules to effectuate this
bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 644
By Crowe

HOUSE BILL 865
By Hicks T

HB0865
001716
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49
and Title 63, relative to schools of nursing.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 7, Part 2, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
Notwithstanding § 63-7-207(7), for practical nursing programs offered by a public
institution of higher education, the board shall require:
(1) That students enrolled in a practical nursing program meet the
qualifications for a high school diploma or the equivalent; and
(2) That practical nursing program students have access to pre-practical
nursing or practical nursing program curricula starting as early as the freshman
year of high school, or as allowable by the dual enrollment grant as described in
§ 49-4-930.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 63-7-207, is amended by deleting
subdivision (7) and substituting the following:
(7) Prescribe the minimum curricula and minimum standards for schools
of nursing and for courses of training preparing persons for licensure under this
chapter and provide for surveys of such schools or an affiliation of schools and
courses. For practical nursing programs offered by a public institution of higher
education, the board shall:
(A) Require a minimum of one thousand two hundred ninety-six
(1,296) clock hours or an equivalent number of credit hours; and

- 2 - 001716

(B) Permit a student of the practical nursing program to sit for the
national council licensure exam for practical nurses (NCLEX-PN) upon
completion of the practical nursing program, as long as the student meets
the NCLEX-PN minimum age requirements as set by the national council
of state boards of nursing;
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.