KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

HB1771 • 2026

Correction, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 41 and Title 49, relative to education.

Crime Education Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Raper, White
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 607
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Tennessee Education Assessment for Inmates

This law requires Tennessee's Department of Correction to assess inmates' education levels and interests annually and inform them about educational opportunities.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Correction to conduct an annual assessment of each inmate serving time for a felony offense.
  • The assessment must find out the highest grade or educational level the inmate has completed, as well as their interest in continuing education.
  • After the assessment, the department must inform inmates about available educational programs and opportunities within 90 days.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Inmates serving time for felony offenses in Tennessee
  • The Department of Correction

Terms To Know

Education Assessment
A test or survey given to inmates to find out their highest grade level and interest in further education.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify the exact content of educational programs offered.
  • The bill does not provide details on how electronic notifications will be made feasible for inmates.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1771

Plain English: The amendment changes how inmates eligible for educational programs are notified about their opportunities.

  • Removes and replaces subsection (c) in SECTION 1 to require the Department to notify inmates serving time for felony offenses about available educational programming within 90 days of an education assessment.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if notification is not feasible electronically, or how exactly the education assessments are conducted.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1569

Plain English: This amendment changes how inmates eligible for educational programs are notified about their opportunities.

  • The amendment removes and replaces subsection (c) in SECTION 1, which now requires the Department to inform inmates serving time for felony offenses about available education programs within 90 days of an assessment.
  • The exact details on how the notification will be provided are not specified beyond being 'in writing or electronically if feasible.'

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 607

  2. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

  3. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 607

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  8. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  11. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 1

  12. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0575)

  13. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026

  15. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on cal. for 3/9/2026

  16. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/23/2026

  18. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/19/2026

  20. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  22. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  24. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0460)

  25. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 2/18/2026

  26. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  28. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/12/2026

  29. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/12/2026

  30. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 2/10/2026

  31. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  32. 2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/3/2026

  33. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee

  34. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  35. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  36. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  37. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  38. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2026-01-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON FEBRUARY 12, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1569, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that the written notice to inmates concerning the educational programming and opportunities may be made electronically if feasible.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1569
By White

HOUSE BILL 1771
By Raper
HB1771
009340
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 41 and Title 49, relative to education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 41, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section, "education assessment" means an assessment,
evaluation, or survey administered to an inmate in the custody or under the supervision
of the department of correction that is designed to collect information regarding the
highest grade or educational level attained by the inmate, as well as to determine the
inmate's interest in continuing, completing, or advancing their education.
(b) The department shall conduct an education assessment:
(1) During the intake of each inmate sentenced to serve a period of
confinement for committing a felony offense and at least annually thereafter; and
(2) At least annually for each inmate who, on or after July 1, 2026, is
serving a period of confinement for committing a felony offense.
(c) The department shall notify each inmate who is serving a period of
confinement for committing a felony offense and who is eligible to continue, complete, or
advance their education of the educational programming and opportunities available to
the inmate. The notice required in this subsection (c) must be provided in writing no
later than ninety (90) days from the date of the education assessment.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.