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HB1147 • 2026

Education, Higher

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to higher education.

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Active

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

Sponsor
Butler, Bailey
Last action
2025-04-14
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Higher Education Scholarship Reporting Act

This bill requires the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation to submit an annual report by July 31st each year detailing scholarship awards and applications for the past five academic years.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation to send a yearly report by July 31st.
  • The report must include details on scholarships awarded over the past five academic years, such as total amounts appropriated by the general assembly, number of scholarship applications received, number of recipients, and average award amount.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation
  • Legislative committees that deal with higher education

Terms To Know

Scholarship
Money given to students to help pay for college or other postsecondary education.
General Assembly
The state legislature of Tennessee, which makes laws and decides on budgets.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the report is late.
  • It does not say how the information will be used or who can see it.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1147

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that allows dependent children of killed or injured law enforcement officers or firefighters to receive tuition and fee waivers at public institutions of higher education, subject to certain conditions.

  • Dependent children of law enforcement officers or firefighters who were killed or died due to injuries while on duty are eligible for a waiver of tuition, maintenance fees, student activity fees, and required registration or matriculation fees at public institutions of higher education.
  • The waiver is only available in academic years where the state has appropriated funds sufficient to cover the lost revenue from waived fees.
  • To receive the waiver, dependent children must provide official certification from their parent's employer verifying that they were killed or died due to injuries while on duty.
  • The amendment does not specify how refunds or credits will be handled for those who have already paid tuition and fees before qualifying for the waiver.
  • It is unclear what happens if a dependent child qualifies after turning twenty-three years old but has not yet completed their undergraduate degree.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0603

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that allows dependent children of law enforcement officers or firefighters who died in the line of duty to receive free tuition, maintenance fees, student activity fees, and registration fees at public institutions of higher education.

  • Defines 'dependent child' as including natural, step, adopted, and posthumous children of law enforcement officers or firefighters.
  • Specifies that dependent children under 23 years old whose parents died in the line of duty are eligible for a waiver of tuition and fees at public institutions of higher education.
  • Requires dependent children to provide official certification from their parent's employer verifying the death occurred while on duty.
  • Sets conditions under which dependent children remain eligible for the waiver, including earning an undergraduate degree or certificate before turning 23.
  • The amendment does not specify how institutions will handle refunds if fees have already been paid by a qualifying student.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee

  2. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2025

  3. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  5. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/15/2025

  6. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/15/2025

  7. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  8. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  15. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  16. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Higher Education Subcommittee

  17. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Education Committee

  18. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  21. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  22. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  23. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  24. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 603
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 1147
By Butler

HB1147
001807
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to higher education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-704, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(j) The corporation shall submit an annual report to the education committee of
the senate and the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over
postsecondary education detailing, for each of the five (5) immediately preceding
academic years for which the corporation awarded scholarships pursuant to this section,
the amount appropriated by the general assembly for the scholarship program, the total
number of scholarship applications received by the corporation, the total number of
scholarship recipients, and the average scholarship award amount. The corporation
shall submit the report by July 31, 2025, and by each July 31 thereafter.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.