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HB1383 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2; Title 5; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 49, relative to boards of education.

Education Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Harris, Taylor
Last action
2025-05-27
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/21/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information about the specific effective date, only that it takes effect upon becoming law.

Local Education Agency Elections

This bill allows counties with charter forms of government to hold school board elections at the same time as other local government elections and sets term limits for school board members based on those of local government officials.

What This Bill Does

  • It permits a county's local legislative body, if it has adopted a charter form of government, to require that elections for the county board of education be held at the same time as other local government elections.
  • It mandates that if members of the local legislative body have staggered terms, then school board members must also have staggered terms.
  • It establishes that school board members will have the same term limits as members of the local legislative body.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County boards of education in Tennessee
  • Local legislative bodies in counties with charter forms of government

Terms To Know

Charter form of government
A special type of local government that has more flexibility and control over its operations.
Staggered terms
When not all positions on a board are up for election at the same time, creating overlapping terms.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only applies to counties that have adopted a charter form of government.
  • It does not specify what happens to current school board members' terms.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1383

Plain English: This amendment allows counties with charter forms of government to align school board elections and terms with those of their local legislative bodies.

  • Counties that have adopted a charter form of government can now require county board of education elections to be held at the same time as local legislative body elections.
  • County board of education members may have successive terms if the local legislative body members do.
  • The amendment also allows for county board of education members to have the same term limits as those in the local legislative body.
  • This amendment only applies to counties with charter forms of government and does not affect other types of counties.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1336

Plain English: This amendment allows counties with charter forms of government to align school board elections and terms with those of their local governing bodies.

  • Counties that have adopted a charter form of government can now require county board of education elections to be held at the same time as local legislative body elections.
  • County board of education members may have successive terms if local legislative body members do.
  • County board of education members can have the same term limits as local legislative body members.
  • The amendment only applies to counties with charter forms of government and does not specify how it will be implemented or enforced.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/21/2025

  2. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 527

  3. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 527

  4. 2025-05-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. concurred in S. am. no. 1 Ayes 92, Nays 3 PNV 2 HB1383

  11. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Message Calendar 3 for 4/22/2025

  12. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 6

  13. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0438)

  14. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  15. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  16. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/22/2025

  17. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/22/2025

  18. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  19. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  20. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  21. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 87, Nays 5, PNV 5

  22. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0305)

  24. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  25. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  26. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  27. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Re-refer to S. Cal Comm

  30. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 4/1/2025

  31. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2025

  32. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar 3/26/2025

  33. 2025-03-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/24/2025

  34. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/25/2025

  35. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  36. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  37. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/25/2025

  38. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/18/2025

  39. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  40. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/18/2025

  41. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025

  42. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  43. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  44. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/11/2025

  45. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/4/2025

  46. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/4/2025

  47. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 2/25/2025

  48. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  49. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  50. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/18/2025

  51. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  52. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  53. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  54. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  55. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  56. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  57. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  58. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 15, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1383, AS AMENDED.

AMENDM
ENT #1 rewrites this bill to authorize a local legislative body for a county that has adopted a charter form of government to require:

(1) Elections for the county board of education to be held at the same time and on the same election cycle as election
s for members of the local legislative body for the county;

(2) Members of the county board of education to have successive terms of office if members of the local legislative body for the county have successive terms of office; and

(3) Members of the
county board of education to have the same term limits as members of the local legislative body for the county.

This amendment specifies that it does not vacate or abridge a term of office for a member on a county board of education.

ON APRIL 22, 2025
, THE SENATE SUBSTITUTED HOUSE BILL 1383 FOR SENATE BILL 1336, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1383, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 removes the provision providing that the bill does not
vacate or abridge a term of office for a member on a county board of education.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1336
By Jackson

HOUSE BILL 1383
By Harris

HB1383
003026
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2;
Title 5; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 49, relative to
boards of education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-201, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(f) Notwithstanding this section or another law to the contrary:
(1) Elections for county boards of education must be held at the same
time and on the same election cycle as elections for members of the local
legislative body for the county;
(2) Members of county boards of education must have the same
staggered terms as members of the local legislative body for the county; and
(3) Members of a county board of education must have the same term
limits as members of the local legislative body for the county.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.