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HB1772 • 2026

Education, Higher

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9; Title 28; Title 29; Title 40 and Title 49, relative to offender reentry.

Children Crime Education Housing
Active

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

Sponsor
Raper, Yager
Last action
2026-03-02
Official status
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text provides detailed information about the specific violent offenses that are exceptions to the protection provided by this act.

Protection for Higher Education Institutions from Liability

This bill protects higher education institutions in Tennessee from liability when admitting, enrolling, or providing housing opportunities to individuals with criminal convictions, except if the institution had actual knowledge of violent offenses.

What This Bill Does

  • It says that a college or university cannot be held responsible for negligence if they admit someone who has been convicted of a crime before.
  • It stops people from using the fact that someone was previously convicted of a crime as evidence against the school in court.
  • It lists specific violent crimes where schools can still face consequences for admitting someone with such convictions, including murder, kidnapping, arson, robbery, burglary, rape, and certain sexual offenses involving minors.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Higher education institutions like colleges and universities in Tennessee.
  • People who have been convicted of crimes and are seeking admission to higher education institutions.

Terms To Know

Violent offense
Serious crimes such as murder, kidnapping, arson, robbery, burglary, rape, or certain sexual offenses involving minors.
Higher education institution
Schools that offer college-level courses and degrees to students who have completed high school.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not apply if the school knew about a violent crime committed by someone before admitting them.
  • It doesn't create new ways for people to sue schools, but it doesn't limit what courts can do with existing laws and practices.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  3. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  4. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 58, Nays 24, PNV 3

  6. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/3/2026

  7. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/26/2026

  8. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  9. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  13. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 2/17/2026

  14. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  16. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  17. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Higher Education Subcommittee

  18. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  19. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  20. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  21. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  22. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

In any proceeding on a claim against a higher education institution for negligence in admitting, enrolling, extending housing opportunities to, or otherwise facilitating the educational attainment of a person who has been previously convicted of a crimina
l offense,
this bill provides that
a higher education institution is not liable based solely upon the fact that the person has been previously convicted of a criminal offense.

In a cause of action against a higher education institution for negligence in admitting, enrolling, extending housing opportunities to, or otherwise facilitating the educational attainment of a person who has been previously convicted of a criminal offens
e,
this bill provides that
evidence that the person has been previously convicted of a criminal offense is not admissible.

VIOLENT OFFENSES

This bill does not apply when (i) the
higher education institution had actual knowledge of the person's prior conviction for
certain
violent offense
s
or
for certain
violent sexual offense
s; or when (ii) t
he higher education institution, having actual knowledge of the person's commission of
certain
violent offense
s
or
certain
violent sexual offense
s
, after admittance, was willful in allowing the person to continue enrolling in, residing at, or otherwise utilizing the higher education institution.
The viole
nt offenses described in this paragraph are the following:



The following m
urder
offenses
:
First degree murder
and second degree murder,
including any attempt, solicitation or facilitation to commit
such
murder
.


The following k
idnapping
offenses
:
Especially aggravated kidnapping
;
any attempt or facilitation to commit such
;

a
ggravated kidnapping
; e
specially aggravated kidnapping where the victim is a minor, except when committed by a parent of the minor
;
and aggravated kidnapping where the victim is a minor, except when committed by a parent of the minor.


The following a
rson
offenses
:
Aggravated arson and any attempt or facilitation to commit
such.


The following r
obbery
offenses
:
Especially aggravated robbery, any attempt or facilitation to commit such, and
a
ggravated robbery.


The following b
urglary
offense
:
E
specially aggravated burglary
.


The following r
ape
offenses
:
Aggravated rape
,
any attempt or facilitation to commit
such, r
ape
, a
ggravated sexual battery
, aggravated spousal rape, spousal rape, and attempt to commit rape.


The following sexual offense
: Certain past convictions of incest.


The following sexual o
ffenses against
minors
:
Rape of a child and any attempt or facilitation to commit
such, a
ggravated child abuse and rape of a child
, a
ggravated sexual exploitation of
a
minor
,
especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor
, s
exual battery by an authority figure,
s
olicitation of a minor

when the offense is classified as a Class B or C felony
, s
tatutory rape by an authority figure
, a
ggravated rape of a child
, and c
ontinuous sexual abuse of a child
.


The following i
nchoate offenses
: Criminal attempt, solicitation, conspiracy, criminal responsibility, facilitating the commission of, and being an accessory after the fact to any of the violent sexual offenses described above.


The following t
rafficking offenses
:
Trafficking for a commercial sex act
.


The following p
rostitution
offense
:
Promotion of prostitution

where the person has a prior conviction for promotion of prostitution
.

IMPACT ON CAUSES OF ACTION

This
bill
does not create a cause of action or expand an existing cause of action
. However, this bill does not
impair the ability of a court to
do any of the following:



Recognize a private right of action that was recognized before July 1, 2012, by the courts of this state as arising under a statute, unless the statute is amended after July 1, 2012, to expressly bar the private right of action
.



Create or confer a private right of action in the absence of a controlling statute on each cause of action contained in the complaint if such action is based on the common law
.



Utilize the doctrine of negligence per se
.



Recognize a private right of action commenced by a state or local governmental entity to collect any fees owed for a governmental service or to recover such fees from a party that is obligated to bill and collect fees owed others for a governmental service.

RULES

This bill does not
impair the ability of a state or local regulatory or licensing agency to enforce rules pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act
,
if such rules were duly enacted through the rulemaking authority granted to any such agency by statute.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 1833
By Yager

HOUSE BILL 1772
By Raper
HB1772
010897
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9;
Title 28; Title 29; Title 40 and Title 49, relative to
offender reentry.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, Chapter 29, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) In any proceeding on a claim against a higher education institution for
negligence in admitting, enrolling, extending housing opportunities to, or otherwise
facilitating the educational attainment of a person who has been previously convicted of
a criminal offense, a higher education institution is not liable based solely upon the fact
that the person has been previously convicted of a criminal offense.
(b) In a cause of action against a higher education institution for negligence in
admitting, enrolling, extending housing opportunities to, or otherwise facilitating the
educational attainment of a person who has been previously convicted of a criminal
offense, evidence that the person has been previously convicted of a criminal offense is
not admissible.
(c) Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply when:
(1) The higher education institution had actual knowledge of the person's
prior conviction for a violent offense, as defined in § 40-35-120(b), or a violent
sexual offense, as defined in § 40-39-202; or
(2) The higher education institution, having actual knowledge of the
person's commission of a violent offense, as defined in § 40-35-120(b), or a
violent sexual offense, as defined in § 40-39-202, after admittance, was willful in

- 2 - 010897

allowing the person to continue enrolling in, residing at, or otherwise utilizing the
higher education institution.
(d) This section does not create a cause of action or expand an existing cause of
action.
(e) Section 1-3-119 relative to implied rights of action applies to this section.
(f) As used in this section, "higher education institution" includes, but is not
limited to, a school, college, university, or other type of entity offering educational
credentials, instruction, or educational services primarily to persons who have completed
or terminated the person's secondary education or who are beyond the age of
compulsory high school attendance for the attainment of educational, professional, or
vocational objectives.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to claims arising on or after that date.