HB1975 • 2026

Education

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

Budget Education Labor Taxes

Active

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

Sponsor: White, Powers
Last action: 2026-03-24
Official status: Taken off notice for cal in s/c K-12 Subcommittee of Education Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify the exact cost of implementing career readiness tools beyond local education agencies potentially using federal funds.

Tennessee Career Readiness Enhancement Act

This bill requires Tennessee high schools to integrate career readiness tools into their curriculum, enabling students to earn credentials in essential skills at no cost.

What This Bill Does

Requires public high schools to include career readiness tools in at least one CTE course starting from the 2026-2027 school year.
Enables students to earn nationally recognized credentials in essential soft skills, employability skills, and digital literacy through these tools without cost.
Establishes a micro-grant program funded by state appropriations or federal grants to provide up to $100 stipends for students who earn three stackable credentials.
Requires the Department of Education to offer professional development programs for CTE educators and school counselors on using career readiness tools effectively.
Creates a pilot program in at least ten school districts or public charter schools to integrate these tools into work-based learning experiences starting from 2027-2028, with employer feedback mechanisms.
Requires the Department of Education to report findings from the pilot program and data on student credential completion to the General Assembly.

Who It Names or Affects

Public high schools in Tennessee that serve students in grades 11 and/or 12.
Students enrolled in these high schools who can earn credentials through career readiness tools.
Local businesses and industries partnering with schools for work-based learning experiences.

Terms To Know

Career Readiness Tools: Digital platforms and assessments that help students explore careers, earn stackable credentials in essential skills, and connect to real-world job opportunities through work-based learning.
Stackable Credentials: Credentials in soft skills, employability skills, and digital literacy recognized by national workforce councils that can be earned individually or combined for greater value.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact cost of implementing career readiness tools beyond local education agencies potentially using federal funds.
It is unclear how many schools will participate in the pilot program and what specific feedback mechanisms will be used by employers.
The impact on local expenditures varies based on funding availability from federal grants.

Bill History

2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Taken off notice for cal in s/c K-12 Subcommittee of Education Committee
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/17/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/18/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/17/2026
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/10/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Education Committee - Government Operations for Review
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year,
this bill requires
each
public school or public charter school that serves students in grades 11 and/or 12 (a "
high school
") to
integrate career readiness tools into at least one career and technical education (CTE) course o
ﬀ
ered to students in grades 11 and 12.
For purposes of this bill,
"
c
areer readiness tools" means digital platforms and assessments that provide:

(
1
)

Personalized career exploration based on student interests, skills, and local labor market data, aligned with the United States department of labor's O*NET framework or a successor framework for an occupational information program operated by the United
States

department of labor;

(
2
)

Stackable credentials in essential soft skills, employability skills, and digital literacy skills, recognized by national workforce councils; and

(
3
) Integration with work-based learning opportunities to connect students with career pathways
.

The career readiness tools must enable students to earn nationally recognized credentials in essential soft skills, employability skills, and digital literacy skills at no cost to the students.
The full text of this bill describes a process for an LEA to obtain approval of career readiness tools from the department of education prior to implementing the tools.

Under this bill, a
student who successfully completes an assessment associated with career readiness tools and earns a credential in essential soft skills, employability skills, or digital literacy skills is eligible to receive up to one elective credit per credential, not
to exceed a total of three elective credits, toward high school graduation requirements.
Additionally, this bill requires the
department
to
establish a micro-grant program, funded through state appropriations or existing federal grants,
to provide a stipend of up to $100 to each student who earns three stackable credentials offered through the career readiness tools.

Th
is bill requires the
department
to
provide professional development programs for CTE educators and school counselors on the use of career readiness tools for career exploration, skill development, and credential attainment. The professional development programs must include modules on in
tegrating career readiness tools into classroom instruction and work-based learning experiences.

This bill authorizes the
LEA of a high school or public charter school governing body that is a high school
to
partner with local businesses and industries to promote credentials earned through career readiness tools as a hiring criterion.

Th
is bill requires the
department
to
establish a pilot program for at least 10 school districts or public charter schools to integrate career readiness tools into work-based learning experiences in the 2027-2028 school year.

The pilot program must include mechanisms for employer feedback to validate the relevance of credentials to workforce needs.

Th
is bill requires th
e department
to
report findings from the pilot program based on employer feedback to the general assembly by July 1, 2029.

Beginning July 1, 2027, and each July 1 thereafter, th
is bill requires th
e department
to
collect and report to the general assembly data on the number of students completing credentials through career readiness tools for the immediately preceding school year, disaggregated by school district, student demographics, and credential type.

This bill requires the
state board of education
to
promulgate rules to effectuate this
bill
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2448
By Powers

HOUSE BILL 1975
By White
HB1975
011867
- 1 -

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

WHEREAS, the General Assembly intends by this act to enhance career readiness and
exploration for Tennessee high school students by integrating nationally recognized, industry-
aligned career readiness and exploration tools into public school curricula, incentivizing student
participation, and fostering collaboration with local employers to prepare students for high-wage,
high-demand careers; now, therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 11, is amended by adding
the following as a new part:
49-11-1001. Short title.
This part is known and may be cited as the "Tennessee Career Readiness
Enhancement Act."
49-11-1002. Part definitions.
As used in this part:
(1) "Career readiness tools" means digital platforms and assessments
that provide:
(A) Personalized career exploration based on student interests,
skills, and local labor market data, aligned with the United States
department of labor's O*NET framework or a successor framework for an
occupational information program operated by the United States.
department of labor;

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(B) Stackable credentials in essential soft skills, employability
skills, and digital literacy skills, recognized by national workforce councils;
and
(C) Integration with work-based learning opportunities to connect
students with career pathways;
(2) "Department" means the department of education;
(3) "High school" means a public school or public charter school that
serves students in any of the grades eleven and twelve (11-12); and
(4) "Work-based learning" means structured learning experiences that
connect classroom instruction to real-world work environments.
49-11-1003. Integration into career and technical education programs.
(a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, each high school in this state
shall integrate career readiness tools into at least one (1) career and technical education
(CTE) course oﬀered to students in grades eleven (11) and twelve (12).
(b) The career readiness tools that are integrated pursuant to subsection (a)
must enable students to earn nationally recognized credentials in essential soft skills,
employability skills, and digital literacy skills at no cost to the students.
(c) Prior to integrating career readiness tools into a CTE course pursuant to
subsection (a), each LEA of a high school and public charter school that is a high school
shall obtain approval for the career readiness tools from the department. The
department shall approve the career readiness tools if the department finds that the
career readiness tools align with this state's career readiness opportunity program and
the United States department of labor's O*NET framework or a successor framework for
an occupational information program operated by the United States department of labor.
49-11-1004. Student Incentives.

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(a) A student who successfully completes an assessment associated with career
readiness tools and earns a credential in essential soft skills, employability skills, or
digital literacy skills is eligible to receive up to one (1) elective credit per credential, not to
exceed a total of three (3) elective credits, toward high school graduation requirements
as set by the state board of education pursuant to § 49-6-6001.
(b) The department shall establish a micro-grant program, funded through state
appropriations or existing federal grants, to provide a stipend of up to one hundred
dollars ($100) to each student who earns three (3) stackable credentials offered through
the career readiness tools. The state board of education shall promulgate rules to
establish and administer the micro-grant program in accordance with the Uniform
Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
49-11-1005. Teacher training and support.
The department shall provide professional development programs for career and
technical (CTE) educators and school counselors on the use of career readiness tools
for career exploration, skill development, and credential attainment. The professional
development programs developed pursuant to this section must include modules on
integrating career readiness tools into classroom instruction and work-based learning
experiences.
49-11-1006. Employer partnerships.
(a) An LEA of a high school or public charter school governing body that is a
high school may partner with local businesses and industries to promote credentials
earned through career readiness tools pursuant to this part as a hiring criterion.
(b)

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(1) The department shall establish a pilot program for at least ten (10)
school districts or public charter schools to integrate career readiness tools into
work-based learning experiences in the 2027-2028 school year.
(2) The pilot program must include mechanisms for employer feedback to
validate the relevance of credentials to workforce needs.
(3) The department shall report findings from the pilot program based on
employer feedback to the general assembly by July 1, 2029.
(4) The state board of education shall promulgate rules to establish and
administer the pilot program in accordance with the Uniform Administrative
Procedures Act, compiled in Title 4, Chapter 5.
49-11-1007. Accountability and reporting.
Beginning July 1, 2027, and each July 1 thereafter, the department shall collect
and report to the general assembly data on the number of students completing
credentials through career readiness tools for the immediately preceding school year,
disaggregated by school district, student demographics, and credential type.
SECTION 2. The state board of education shall promulgate rules to effectuate this act.
The rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act,
compiled in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 5.
SECTION 3. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance
is held invalid, then the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the act that
can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end, the provisions of
this act are severable.
SECTION 4. The headings in this act are for reference purposes only and do not
constitute a part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is
requested to include the headings in any compilation or publication containing this act.

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SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it,
and applies to the 2026-2027 school year and subsequent school years.