Education

Plain English Breakdown

The exact penalties and enforcement mechanisms for non-compliance are not specified in the official source material.

Tennessee Law on Released Time Courses

This law requires background checks for instructors and other staff of released time courses in religious moral instruction.

What This Bill Does

• Requires individuals working with students in released time courses to undergo a criminal history records check conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
• Allows TBI to release results of these checks to independent entities running the courses.
• Requires independent entities to provide background check results to local education agencies (LEAs).
• Requires LEAs to review background check results and inform parents if an instructor or staff member has a criminal history that would disqualify them as an educator.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students who attend released time courses
• Instructors of released time courses
• Independent entities running the courses
• Local education agencies (LEAs)

Terms To Know

Released Time Courses

Courses in religious moral instruction that students can attend during school hours with permission.

TBI

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which conducts criminal background checks.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify the consequences if an instructor fails the background check.
• It is unclear how LEAs will enforce these requirements in practice.
• Penalties for non-compliance are not detailed in this legislation.

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes local
boards of education to adopt a policy that excuses a student from school to attend a released time course in religious moral instruction for no more than one class period per school day. Instructors of released time courses are hired by the independent
e
ntity that sponsors the course.

This bill adds requirements that a person holding a position with an independent entity as a released time course instructor or any other position requiring proximity to students attending the released time course:

(1)
Submit to a TBI criminal history records check; and

(2) Agree to permit the TBI to release the results of the criminal history records check to the independent entity conducting the released time course, which must in turn release all such criminal histo
ry records checks to the LEA.

This bill requires an LEA that excuses a student from school to attend a released time course to do the following:

(1) Require an independent entity that teaches a released time course that a student of the LEA attends to
agree that no person holding a position with the independent entity is permitted to be in proximity to children attending the released time course, unless the person submits to a TBI criminal history records check; and

(2) Review the results of a crimin
al history records check that are released to the LEA by the independent entity, and notify the parents or guardians of students who attend a released time course of whether the criminal history records check indicate that the subject of the criminal hist
o
ry records check has not been convicted of an offense for which the state board of education is required to revoke an educator's license.

ON APRIL 7, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1332, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites t
he bill to, instead, provide that,
before excusing a student from school to attend a released time course

in religious moral instruction
during the
2025-2026 school year and each school year thereafter
, all of the following criteria must be met:



The independent entity must identify each released time course instructor, as well as any other person holding a position with the independent entity requiring proximity to students participating in a released time course
.



Each released time course instructor for the independent entity, as well as any other person holding a position with the independent entity requiring proximity to students participating in a released time course, must
comply with all of the following:



Submit to a criminal history background check prior to the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year or prior to becoming a released time course instructor or holding a position with the independent entity requiring proximity to students participating in a released time course and at least every five years thereafter
.



Release the results of the individual's criminal history records check to the independent entity for examination for purposes of verifying that the individual has not been convicted of an offense
that subjects an educator to automatic revocation of their license as an educator.



The independent entity must certify to the LEA in writing
all of the following:



That e
ach released time course instructor for the independent entity, as well as any other person holding a position with the independent entity requiring proximity to students participating in a released time course, has complied with the requirements
described above.



That n
o released time course instructor for the independent entity, or any other person holding a position with the independent entity requiring proximity to students participating in a released time course, has been convicted of an offense
that subjects an educator to automatic revocation of their license as an educator.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1332
By Harshbarger

HOUSE BILL 1281
By Hill

HB1281
003028
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 2; Title 49, Chapter 5 and Title 49,
Chapter 6, relative to released time courses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-130, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(i)
(1) A person holding a position with an independent entity as a released
time course instructor or any other position requiring proximity to students
attending the released time course shall:
(A) Submit to a criminal history records check to be conducted by
the Tennessee bureau of investigation (TBI); and
(B) Agree to permit the TBI to release the results of the criminal
history records check to the independent entity conducting the released
time course.
(2) An independent entity conducting a released time course shall
release all criminal history records checks conducted pursuant to subdivision
(i)(1) to the LEA.
(3) An LEA that excuses a student from school to attend a released time
course pursuant to this section shall:
(A) Require an independent entity that teaches a released time
course that a student of the LEA attends to agree that no person holding
a position with the independent entity is permitted to be in proximity to

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children attending the released time course, unless the person submits to
the requirements of subdivision (i)(1); and
(B) Review the results of a criminal history records check that are
released to the LEA by the independent entity pursuant to subdivision
(i)(2) and notify the parents or guardians of students who attend a
released time course of whether the criminal history records check is
satisfactory.
(4) As used in this subsection (i), "satisfactory" means that the results of
a criminal history records check reviewed by an LEA pursuant to subdivision
(i)(3)(B) indicate that the subject of the criminal history records check has not
been convicted of an offense listed in § 49-5-417(a).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.