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HB1838 • 2026

Education

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to career readiness assessments.

Education Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Haston, Lowe
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not explicitly state that passing the test allows for automatic college credit, only that a framework will be established by the Board of Regents.

Career Readiness Assessments for High School Students

This bill changes Tennessee's education laws to require all high school students to have access to career readiness assessments and allows colleges to give credit based on these assessments.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that all high school students, not just seniors, can take a nationally recognized career readiness test.
  • Requires schools to offer this test every year.
  • Creates rules for college boards to give credits based on good scores from these tests.

Who It Names or Affects

  • High school students
  • Local education agencies and public charter schools
  • Colleges governed by the Board of Regents

Terms To Know

Career readiness assessment
A test that shows if a student is ready for jobs or further education after high school.
Transcribable credit
College credits that can be counted towards a degree.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which career readiness assessments are nationally recognized.
  • It is unclear how many students will take advantage of the new testing opportunities and earn college credits.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1838

Plain English: The amendment changes how career readiness assessments are provided to high school students in Tennessee, specifying that these assessments must meet certain criteria and be offered once during grades ten through twelve.

  • Requires local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to provide a nationally recognized career readiness assessment to students in grades 10-12.
  • Specifies that the assessment must adhere to specific standards, measure foundational workplace skills, confirm job readiness for various positions, and align with industry skill requirements.
  • Ensures the assessment leads to nationally recognized work-readiness certificates or credentials.
  • The amendment does not specify which particular assessments will be used or how they will be implemented in schools.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1967

Plain English: The amendment changes a Tennessee law to require career readiness assessments for all students in grades nine through twelve every school year, not just high school seniors starting from 2023-2024.

  • Expands the requirement for career readiness assessments to include all students in grades nine through twelve instead of only high school seniors.
  • Removes the specific start date of the 2023-2024 school year and applies the assessment requirement every school year.
  • The amendment text does not provide details on what changes will be made to the assessments or how they will be implemented for younger students.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  3. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  4. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  5. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  6. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 4/8/2026

  7. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 4/8/2026

  8. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/31/2026

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/24/2026

  11. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/24/2026

  12. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/17/2026

  13. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  14. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/17/2026

  15. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/10/2026

  17. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/10/2026

  18. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/3/2026

  19. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  20. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee

  21. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  22. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  23. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  24. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  25. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1967
By Lowe

HOUSE BILL 1838
By Haston
HB1838
010438
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to career readiness assessments.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-6001(b)(4)(A), is amended by
deleting "each high school senior" and substituting "each student in any of the grades nine
through twelve (9-12)" and deleting "in the 2023-2024 school year, and each subsequent school
year" and substituting "each school year".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-203, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(n) The board of regents shall establish a standard framework for each institution
governed by the board to provide transcribable credit to a student who earned a
credential on a nationally recognized career readiness assessment administered to the
student in high school pursuant to § 49-6-6001(b)(4) that may be applied toward the
student's attainment of a postsecondary degree.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.