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HB1747 • 2026

Education

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to civics engagement.

Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Freeman, Campbell
Last action
2026-03-30
Official status
Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Civics Engagement Field Days for High School Students

This bill requires Tennessee high schools to provide students in U.S. government and civics courses with three civic engagement field days, one focusing on each branch of government.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires public high schools to offer three civic engagement field days to students enrolled in a U.S. government and civics course.
  • Each field day must focus on one of the three branches of government: legislative, judicial, or executive.
  • Field days include visits to city councils, county commissions, courthouses, mayors' offices, and governors' offices.
  • Schools are not required to reschedule missed field days for absent students.
  • Schools can prevent a student from attending a field day if the student has disciplinary issues.

Who It Names or Affects

  • High school students enrolled in U.S. government and civics courses
  • Public high schools offering these courses

Terms To Know

LEA
Local Education Agency, which refers to a public board of education or other public authority responsible for the administrative control and management of public elementary or secondary schools.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if field days are impractical due to budget constraints.
  • It is unclear how schools will handle students who miss a field day without disciplinary reasons.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1747

Plain English: The amendment requires Tennessee's public high schools to provide students in U.S. government and civics courses with three civic engagement field days, one for each branch of government.

  • Public high schools must offer three civic engagement field days for students enrolled in a U.S. government and civics course, focusing on the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
  • Each field day includes structured learning activities aligned with state standards and visits to relevant government bodies or officials.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if students miss a field day due to absence or other reasons.
  • It is unclear how schools will handle budgetary constraints that might prevent in-person visits, though it mentions alternatives like virtual tours and traveling civics programs.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1819

Plain English: The amendment requires Tennessee's public high schools to provide students in U.S. government and civics courses with three civic engagement field days, one for each branch of government.

  • Public high schools must offer three civic engagement field days for students enrolled in a U.S. government and civics course, focusing on the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
  • Each field day includes structured learning activities aligned with state standards and visits to relevant government bodies or officials.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if students miss a field day due to absence or other reasons.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  2. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  5. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  6. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  7. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0

  8. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0817)

  9. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  10. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026

  11. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  12. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  14. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/24/2026

  15. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/24/2026

  16. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  18. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  19. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0676)

  20. 2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026

  21. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/17/2026

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 6, Nays 0 PNV 0

  23. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/17/2026

  24. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026

  25. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/11/2026

  26. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026

  27. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Instruction Subcommittee for 3/3/2026

  29. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Instruction Subcommittee

  31. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  32. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  33. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  34. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  35. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  36. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

For the 2026-2027 school year, and each school year thereafter, this bill requires each public high school to provide students who are enrolled in a United States government and civics course with three civic engagement field days, with one field day for
each of the three distinct branches of government. Such a civic engagement field day must meet all of the following criteria:



Include structured learning activities aligned with the state board-adopted academic standards for the United States government and civics course.



For purposes of the civic engagement field day that covers the legislative branch, include a class visit to a city council, county commission, or the general assembly.



For purposes of the civic engagement field day that covers the judicial branch, include a class visit to a courthouse to allow students to observe a judicial proceeding or to meet with a judge or court official.



For purposes of the civic engagement field day that covers the executive branch, include a class visit to the office of a mayor, county executive, or to the office of the governor.

If a high school student who is enrolled in the course is absent from school on the day for which a class visit described above occurs, then this bill clarifies that the public high school is not required to reschedule the class visit or arrange for a se
parate visit for the absent student. Additionally, a public high school may prohibit a student who is enrolled in the course from attending a class visit described above for disciplinary reasons in accordance with the disciplinary policy of the LEA or pu
bl
ic charter school.

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1819, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 a
dds that, if
civic engagement field day
s are
impracticable due to budgetary constraints for the LEA or public high school, then the public high school may participat
e
in:

(1) Verified virtual tours of the locations
associated with the three branches of government;

(2) State-approved traveling civics programs; or

(3) Visits to the public high school by public officials who serve the county in which the public high school is located during which time the students participate in interactive instructional sessions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1819
By Campbell

HOUSE BILL 1747
By Freeman
HB1747
011092
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to civics engagement.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 4, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Each public high school shall provide students who are enrolled in a United
States government and civics course with three (3) civic engagement field days, one (1)
for each of the three (3) distinct branches of government. A civic engagement field day
required pursuant to this subsection (a) must:
(1) Include structured learning activities aligned with the state board-
adopted academic standards for the United States government and civics
course; and
(2) For purposes of the civic engagement field day that covers the:
(A) Legislative branch, include a class visit to a city council,
county commission, or the general assembly;
(B) Judicial branch, include a class visit to a courthouse to allow
students to observe a judicial proceeding or to meet with a judge or court
official; and
(C) Executive branch, include a class visit to the office of a
mayor, county executive, or to the office of the governor.
(b) If a high school student who is enrolled in the United States government and
civics course is absent from school on the day for which a class visit described in

- 2 - 011092

subdivision (a)(2) occurs, then the public high school is not required to reschedule the
class visit or arrange for a separate visit for the absent student.
(c) A public high school may prohibit a student who is enrolled in the United
States government and civics course from attending a class visit described in
subdivision (a)(2) for disciplinary reasons in accordance with the disciplinary policy of the
LEA or public charter school.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it,
and applies to the 2026-2027 school year and each school year thereafter.