Human Resources, Department of

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Child Care Agency Licensing Exemption

This bill changes Tennessee law to allow child care agencies that provide services through a U.S. Department of Defense-accredited child development program for children of defense personnel from birth to age 12 to operate without a license.

What This Bill Does

• Adds an exemption for child care agencies providing services through a U.S. Department of Defense-accredited child development program for children of defense personnel from birth to age 12.
• Requires these agencies to be accredited by the U.S. Department of Defense to qualify for this exemption.
• Specifies that such agencies can operate without a license as long as they only serve eligible patrons, which includes military service members and their families.

Who It Names or Affects

• Child care agencies accredited by the U.S. Department of Defense
• Children of defense personnel from birth to age 12
• Military service members, DoD civilian employees, and their families

Terms To Know

child development program

A program that provides child care services for children of military personnel.

eligible patron

Someone who qualifies to receive child care services from a defense-accredited agency, including military service members and their families.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if an eligible patron is no longer eligible.
• It's unclear how many agencies will qualify for this exemption.
• The effectiveness of the new regulations depends on federal accreditation standards.

Official Summary Text

Present law generally requires a
ll persons or entities operating a child care agency
to
be licensed by the department
of human services
as a child care agency
unless specifically exempted by law. This bill adds that a
child care agency that provides child care services through a child development program
that provides such services for children of the department of defense personnel from birth through age 12
and is accredited by United States department of defens
e
is not subject to licensure and does not
require an exemption from licensing to operate lawfully as long as such agency provides child care services only to an eligible patron.

As used in this bill, an "eligible patron" means a p
atron who qualif
ies
for
child development program
services,
including
active duty Military Service members, DoD civilian employees paid from APF and NAF, Reserve Component Military Service members on inactive duty training, combat related wounded warriors, surviving spouses of military members who died from a combat relate
d incident, eligible employees of DoD contractors, other Federal employees, and those acting in loco parentis of
such
eligible patrons.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 2096
By Akbari

HOUSE BILL 1452
By Glynn
HB1452
009929
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71,
Chapter 3, relative to child care agencies.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 71-3-503, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(g)
(1) A child care agency that provides child care services through a child
development program and is accredited by the United States department of
defense, as described in 32 CFR 79, is not subject to licensure and does not
require an exemption from licensing to operate lawfully as long as such child care
agency provides child care services only to an eligible patron.
(2) As used in this subsection (g),"child development program" and
"eligible patron" have the same meaning as defined in 32 CFR 79.3.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.