Education

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how grant funds will be disbursed or the exact requirements for applying for grants, leaving some aspects of these processes unclear.

School Safety and Mental Health Act

This bill requires each local education agency (LEA) and public charter school to hire a full-time licensed professional school counselor for every school and establishes a grant program administered by the Tennessee School Safety Center to improve school safety infrastructure.

What This Bill Does

• Requires LEAs and public charter schools to employ at least one full-time licensed professional school counselor per school.
• Establishes the Tennessee School Safety Center's responsibility to administer a school safety infrastructure grant program.

Who It Names or Affects

• Local education agencies (LEAs) in Tennessee
• Public charter schools in Tennessee

Terms To Know

Local Education Agency (LEA)

An agency responsible for providing public elementary and secondary education within a defined area.

Licensed Professional School Counselor

A counselor who is certified or licensed by the state to provide counseling services in schools.

Limits and Unknowns

• The exact amount of grant funds available and how they will be disbursed each year is not specified.
• It's unclear when the bill will become law, as it is still active and awaiting further action.

Official Summary Text

This bill enacts
the "School Safety and Mental Health Act
,
"
which requires (i) e
ach LEA and public charter school
to
employ at least one full-time licensed professional school counselor for each school in the LEA or public charter school
, and (ii) the
Tennessee school safety center
to
administer a school safety infrastructure grant program

TENNESSEE SCHOOL SAFETY CENTE
R

Present law requires the
department of education, in collaboration with the department of safety,
to
establish a Tennessee school safety center to develop and evaluate training materials and guidelines on school safety issues, including behavior, disc
ipline and violence prevention.

The center is responsible for the collection and analysis of data related to school safety, including alleged violent or assaultive acts against school employees and students.

The center
must
make periodic reports to
legis
lative committees
on the status of school safety efforts.

SCHOOL SECURITY ASSESSMENTS

Present law requires t
he department of safety, in collaboration with the department of education,
to
develop a school security assessment for use in Tennessee public s
chools.

The departments
must
provide training to local law enforcement agencies and school administrators on the use of the school security assessment to identify school security vulnerabilities.

Each LEA and public charter school
must
submit to the depa
rtment of safety an annual school security self-assessment for each school that uses the school security assessment.

The department of safety may conduct periodic reviews of public schools, as it deems necessary, to verify the effective implementation and
use of school security assessments to enhance school security.

SCHOOL SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS

This bill requires the
Tennessee school safety center
to
administer a school safety infrastructure grant program
and to
develop a grant application that
requires LEAs to describe, at a minimum, how grant funds

(
i
)
w
ill be used to improve and support school safety infrastructure;

(
ii
)
a
lign with the needs identified in a school security assessment; and

(
iii
)
w
ill be used to support LEA-authorized charter
schools, if applicable.

In order to be eligible to receive grant funds, the LEA must be in compliance with all state laws, rules, and regulations regarding school safety.

Subject to appropriations, the center
must
award grants to LEAs that meet the requi
rements of this
bill.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 905
By Lamar

HOUSE BILL 953
By Brooks

HB0953
001139
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to the School Safety and Mental Health
Act.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "School Safety and Mental
Health Act."
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 2, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
Each LEA and public charter school shall employ at least one (1) full-time
licensed professional school counselor for each school in the LEA or public charter
school.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-4302, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
( )
(1) The Tennessee school safety center shall administer a school safety
infrastructure grant program. The center shall develop a school safety
infrastructure grant application that requires LEAs to describe, at a minimum,
how grant funds:
(A) Will be used to improve and support school safety
infrastructure;
(B) Align with the needs identified in a school security
assessment conducted pursuant to subsection (f); and

- 2 - 001139

(C) Will be used to support LEA-authorized charter schools, if
applicable.
(2) In order to be eligible to receive grant funds, the LEA must be in
compliance with all state laws, rules, and regulations regarding school safety.
(3) Subject to appropriations, the Tennessee school safety center shall
award grants to LEAs that meet the requirements of this subsection ( ). Any
funds appropriated for this program in any fiscal year that are not expended must
be carried forward for program purposes in future fiscal years.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.