Teachers, Principals and School Personnel

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effective date is July 1, 2026, not January 1, 2027 as mentioned in the candidate explanation.

Tennessee Civics Education Act

This bill requires new teachers and occupational teachers to pass a U.S. civics test before getting their first teaching license.

What This Bill Does

• Requires new teacher licenses to be given only if the person passes a U.S. civics test.
• The Department of Education must create a test with 100 questions from the naturalization test for citizenship.
• Starting January 1, 2027, teachers and occupational teachers must take this test before getting their first license.
• People who pass get a certificate showing they passed the civics test.

Who It Names or Affects

• Teachers seeking their first teaching license in Tennessee
• Occupational teachers applying for their initial license

Terms To Know

practitioner teacher license

A type of teaching license given to new educators.

civics test

A test about U.S. government and history, similar to the one immigrants take for citizenship.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not provide remediation or civics instruction for those taking the test.
• It is unclear how much extra money will be needed for certificate generation within a learning management system.

Official Summary Text

B
eginning July 1, 2027,
this bill
requires a person seeking the first issuance of a practitioner teacher license or practitioner occupational teacher license to achieve a passing score on the United States civics test described below in order to obtain the license.

This bill requires the department of education to do all of the following:



Prepare a United States civics test composed of 100 questions collected from the questions that are set forth within the civics test administered by the United States citizenship and immigration services to persons seeking to become naturalized citizens.



Beginning January 1, 2027, administer the test to persons seeking the first issuance of a practitioner teacher license or practitioner occupational teacher license.



Provide a person who achieves a passing score on the test with a certificate of completion. A person must correctly answer at least 70 questions to receive a passing score on the test.

This bill prohibits the department from providing persons seeking the first issuance of a practitioner teacher license or practitioner occupational teacher license with any remediation or civics instruction in preparation for the test. However, the depa
rtment must provide links on its website to reference materials and instructional resources the department deems appropriate or helpful to such persons in preparation for the test.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1709
By Taylor

HOUSE BILL 1658
By Capley
HB1658
011191
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to educator licensure.

WHEREAS, knowledge of our government and its structure, history, and founding
principles are paramount to a functioning society and civically engaged electorate; and
WHEREAS, the education system in Tennessee must be well suited to prepare our
citizens to understand their constitutional rights, their role in government, and the importance of
civic engagement; and
WHEREAS, the need is great to ensure that teachers are well versed in civics and
understand the importance of teaching the same; now, therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) This section is known and may be cited as the "Tennessee Civics Education
Act."
(b) Beginning July 1, 2027, a person seeking the first issuance of a practitioner
teacher license or practitioner occupational teacher license must achieve a passing
score on the United States civics test described in subdivision (c)(1) in order to obtain
the license.
(c) The department of education shall:
(1) Prepare a United States civics test composed of one hundred (100)
questions collected from the questions that are set forth within the civics test
administered by the United States citizenship and immigration services to
persons seeking to become naturalized citizens;

- 2 - 011191

(2) Beginning January 1, 2027, administer the United States civics test
described in subdivision (c)(1) to persons seeking the first issuance of a
practitioner teacher license or practitioner occupational teacher license; and
(3) Provide a person who achieves a passing score on the United States
civics test described in subdivision (c)(1) with a certificate of completion.
(d) A person must correctly answer at least seventy (70) questions to receive a
passing score on the United States civics test described in subdivision (c)(1).
(e) The department shall not provide persons seeking the first issuance of a
practitioner teacher license or practitioner occupational teacher license with any
remediation or civics instruction in preparation for the United States civics test described
in subdivision (c)(1); provided, that the department shall provide links on its website to
reference materials and instructional resources the department deems appropriate or
helpful to such persons in preparation for the test.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.