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HB1125 • 2026

Education

AN ACT to amend Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 8 and Title 49, relative to education.

Education Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Farmer, Bailey
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 433
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text does not specify an effective date, but mentions July 1, 2025, which may or may not apply to this specific act.

Teacher Evaluation Guidelines and Compensation for Unused Leave

This law requires the Department of Education to create guidelines on how long a student must be in class before their record counts towards evaluating a teacher and allows local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to pay teachers' estates for unused leave when the teacher dies.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Education to develop criteria for determining how long a student needs to attend classes taught by a specific teacher before their academic performance counts towards evaluating that teacher.
  • Specifies that for courses with TCAP tests, students must be present in class for at least 150 days or 75 days on a block schedule to count towards the teacher's evaluation.
  • Authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to compensate teachers' estates for unused sick leave and annual leave when the teacher dies.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Teachers who are evaluated based on student performance
  • Local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools
  • Estates of deceased teachers

Terms To Know

TCAP test
A standardized test used in Tennessee to measure students' academic progress.
Local Education Agency (LEA)
An organization responsible for providing public education, such as a school district or charter school.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact number of days required for student records to count towards teacher evaluations may vary based on whether the school uses a block schedule.
  • It is not clear how this law will be enforced or what specific guidelines the Department of Education will create.
  • This act does not specify when it becomes effective, but similar changes usually take effect after a set period.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1125

Plain English: The amendment changes how long a student must be in a teacher's classroom before their record counts towards the teacher’s performance evaluation and allows schools to compensate deceased teachers' estates for unused leave.

  • Adds rules on when a student's academic record will count toward a teacher's evaluation, requiring at least 150 days of attendance for most classes and 75 days for block-scheduled courses.
  • Enables local education agencies (LEAs) or public charter schools to pay out unused sick and annual leave to the estates of teachers who pass away.
  • The amendment text does not specify how these changes will be implemented in practice, such as the exact process for compensating teacher estates.
Amendment 2-0 to HB1125

Plain English: The amendment changes how long a student must be in a teacher's class before their record counts towards the teacher’s performance and allows schools to compensate deceased teachers' estates for unused leave.

  • Adds rules on when a student's academic record will count toward a teacher's evaluation, requiring at least 150 days of classroom instruction or 75 days if the school uses a block schedule.
  • Allows local education agencies and public charter schools to compensate the estates of teachers who died while employed for unused leave.
  • The exact details on how the compensation will be calculated are not provided in the amendment text.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0602

Plain English: The amendment changes how long a student must be in a teacher's classroom before their record counts towards the teacher’s performance and allows schools to compensate deceased teachers' estates for unused leave.

  • Adds rules on when a student's academic record will count toward a teacher's evaluation, requiring at least 150 days of attendance for most classes and 75 days for block-scheduled courses.
  • Allows local education agencies (LEAs) or public charter schools to pay out unused sick and annual leave to the estates of teachers who pass away.
  • The amendment text does not specify how these changes will be implemented or enforced, leaving some details unclear.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 433

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/09/2025

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 433

  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. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 33, Nays 0 (Amendment 2 - HA0432)

  10. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/21/2025

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 89, Nays 2, PNV 1

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA0432)

  15. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0233)

  16. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  17. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025

  18. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  19. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  20. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2025

  21. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  22. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  24. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 4/16/2025

  25. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  26. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 0

  28. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0284)

  29. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/9/2025

  30. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/9/2025

  31. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  32. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  33. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  35. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 1

  36. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/25/2025

  38. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  39. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  40. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/25/2025

  41. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  42. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee

  43. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Education Committee

  44. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  45. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/19/2025

  46. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/12/2025

  47. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  48. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  49. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  50. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  51. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  52. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 9, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 602, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to require the department of e
ducation to develop guidelines and criteria for determining how long a student must have been present in a teacher's classroom before the student's record is attributable to the teacher for purposes of evaluating the teacher. For teachers who teach a cou
r
se for which a TCAP test is administered, a student must have been present in the teacher's classroom for 150 days of classroom instruction, or 75 days of classroom instruction if the school is on a block schedule, before the student's record is attributa
b
le to the teacher.

Under present law, the estate of a state employee, on the employee's death is compensated for the employee's unused and accrued sick leave in the same manner that the estates of deceased employees are compensated for terminal leave. U
nder present law, for a state employee entitled to terminal leave at death, the compensation covering the same is paid to their estate or to their designated beneficiary. This amendment authorizes an LEA or public charter school to compensate the estate
o
f a teacher who, on the teacher's death, was in the employ of the LEA or public charter school for the teacher's unused and accrued annual and sick leave in the same manner that the estates of deceased state employees are compensated under present law.

O
N APRIL 16, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 602 FOR HOUSE BILL 1125, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 602, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2 makes the estate of a deceased teacher eligible for compensation for the teacher's accrued leave if th
e teacher was employed by an LEA of public charter school at the time of the teacher's death rather than if the teacher
died on or after September 1, 2024, while employed by the LEA or public charter school.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 602
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 1125
By Farmer

HB1125
002656
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025
(1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and
Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 49;
Title 8 and Title 49, relative to education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-1-203(c)(1), is amended by
deleting "five (5) business days" and substituting "ten (10) business days".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.