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HB1277 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and Title 49, Chapter 2, relative to recall elections for members of local boards of education.

Education Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Hill, Crowe
Last action
2025-02-12
Official status
Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the specific requirements or procedures that will be applied statewide after removing Madison County's exception.

Recall Elections for Local School Board Members

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to remove an exception that allowed Madison County to have its own rules for recalling school board members.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the exception that allowed Madison County to establish its own recall procedures for local school board members.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Registered voters in Tennessee
  • Local boards of education in Tennessee

Terms To Know

Recall election
A special election where voters can remove an elected official from office before their term ends.
Metropolitan form of government
A type of city governance that combines the powers and responsibilities of a county and a city into one entity.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much it will cost local governments to hold these recall elections.
  • It is unclear what happens if voters in Madison County disagree with this change.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  2. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  3. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Withdrawn.

  4. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  5. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  6. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  7. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  8. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes

a
local board of education member that is elected, or appointed to fill a vacancy,
to
be removed from office by the registered voters of the county.
A
governmental entity having a charter provision for a petition for recall, referendum
,
or initiative
must
meet requirements and procedures set out by this state. Certain counties are excluded from this provision, including, c
ount
ies

with
a metropolitan form of government and a population greater than 100,000
, and Madison County, and can thereby
establish
thei
r
own recall procedures
. This bill removes the exception for Madison County.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 649
By Crowe

HOUSE BILL 1277
By Hill

HB1277
000056
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and
Title 49, Chapter 2, relative to recall elections for
members of local boards of education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-213, is amended by deleting
subsection (e).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.