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HB2129 • 2026

Education, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9 and Title 49, relative to pre-kindergarten.

Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Alexander, Massey
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 candidate explanation included additional requirements for TACIR that are not supported by the official source material provided. The bill summary text mentions a separate amendment (Senate Bill 2361) which is not part of HB2129.

Changing Report Frequency for Pre-K Programs

This bill changes how often reports about pre-kindergarten programs in Tennessee are made from once a year to every three years.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the requirement that the office of early learning must give an annual report on pre-kindergarten programs to giving one every three years.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The office of early learning in Tennessee's Department of Education

Terms To Know

TACIR
Tennessee Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Relations, a group that studies and advises on state issues.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what will happen to the information collected between reports.
  • It is unclear how this change might affect public awareness or oversight of pre-kindergarten programs.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2129

Plain English: The amendment requires TACIR to conduct a study on public school administered early childhood education programs in Tennessee and submit its findings by September 1, 2027.

  • TACIR will perform a comprehensive study of all types of early childhood education programs run by public schools in Tennessee.
  • The study must cover the costs, funding sources, participation rates, unmet needs, and compare these with other states' programs.
  • State and local agencies must provide data to TACIR for this study upon request.
  • It is unclear how much the study will cost or who will fund it.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2361

Plain English: The amendment requires TACIR to conduct a study on public school administered early childhood education programs in Tennessee and submit its findings by September 1, 2027.

  • TACIR will perform a comprehensive study of all types of early childhood education programs run by public schools in Tennessee.
  • The study must cover the costs, funding sources, participation rates, unmet needs, and compare these with other states' programs.
  • Policy options for future development and sustainable funding strategies are to be included in the report.
  • It is unclear how much this study will cost or what specific data TACIR will need from state and local agencies.

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

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to the TACIR Calendar

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  5. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  11. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  13. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0675)

  14. 2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/23/2026

  15. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee

  22. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Education Committee

  23. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  25. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  26. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  27. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  28. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2361, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 r
ewrites this bill to require
TACIR
, with the assistance of relevant state agencies,

to
conduct a comprehensive study on public school administered early childhood education programs in this state.
The full text of this amendment specifies six components that must be included in the study. This amendment requires
TACIR
to
submit its report and recommendations to the education committee of the senate and the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over public school admi
nistered early childhood education programs no later than September 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2361
By Massey

HOUSE BILL 2129
By Alexander
HB2129
012160
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9 and
Title 49, relative to pre-kindergarten.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-108, is amended by deleting
subdivision (6) and substituting:
(6) Once every three (3) years, provide a report to the governor and general
assembly on the status of pre-kindergarten programs that includes, at a minimum, the
number, location, and types of providers of pre-kindergarten classrooms and the number
of at-risk children served. The report must be published on the department of education,
office of early learning's website.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.