Students

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Student Discipline Rules for Pre-K to Grade 2

This bill changes Tennessee's rules about suspending or expelling students in pre-kindergarten through second grade.

What This Bill Does

• It stops schools from suspending or kicking out students in grades pre-K to 2 unless their behavior is dangerous.
• If a student’s actions are harmful, the school can suspend them for up to three days.
• Before suspending a student, the school must talk with the student and their parents about why they were suspended.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students in pre-kindergarten through second grade
• Local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools

Terms To Know

LEA

Local Education Agency, which is a school district or other local organization that manages public schools.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill only applies to the 025-2026 school year and later.
• It does not specify what happens if a student's behavior is dangerous but they are suspended for less than three days.

Official Summary Text

Starting with the 2025-2026
school year, this bill prohibits a local education agency ("
LEA
")
or public charter school
from
suspend
ing
or expe
lling
a student from school if the student is enrolled in any of the grades pre-K-2
,
unless the student's behavior endangers the physical safe
ty of other students or school personnel, as determined by the LEA's director of schools or the director of the public charter school, as applicable.

If the behavior of a student enrolled in the LEA or public charter school in any of the grades pre-K-2 en
dangers the physical safety of other students or school personnel, as determined by the LEA's director of schools or the director of the public charter school, as applicable, then the student may be suspended for no more than
three
days.

Before a student
is suspended pursuant to
the provisions above
,
this bill requires
the student
to
be provided an opportunity for the student's anger, fear, or anxiety to subside and for the student's teacher, principal, school counselor, or school psychologist to have a c
onversation with the student and the student's parent or legal guardian concerning the student's behavior and any underlying issues that may have precipitated the student's behavior. The principal of the student's school
must
notify the student's parent o
r legal guardian of the student's suspension on the day the suspension occurs.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1161
By Akbari

HOUSE BILL 1005
By Hakeem

HB1005
003068
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to student discipline.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 34, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Notwithstanding § 49-6-3401, an LEA or public charter school shall not
suspend or expel a student from school if the student is enrolled in any of the grades
pre-kindergarten through two (pre-K-2) unless the student's behavior endangers the
physical safety of other students or school personnel, as determined by the LEA's
director of schools or the director of the public charter school, as applicable.
(b) If the behavior of a student enrolled in the LEA or public charter school in any
of the grades pre-kindergarten through two (pre-K-2) endangers the physical safety of
other students or school personnel, as determined by the LEA's director of schools or
the director of the public charter school, as applicable, then the student may be
suspended for no more than three (3) days.
(c)
(1) Before a student is suspended pursuant to subsection (b), the student
must be provided an opportunity for the student's anger, fear, or anxiety to
subside and for the student's teacher, principal, school counselor, or school
psychologist to have a conversation with the student and the student's parent or
legal guardian concerning the student's behavior and any underlying issues that
may have precipitated the student's behavior.

- 2 - 003068

(2) The principal of the student's school shall notify the student's parent
or legal guardian of the student's suspension on the day the suspension occurs.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it,
and applies to the 2025-2026 school year and each school year thereafter.