Teachers, Principals and School Personnel

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 5, relative to teaching credentials.

Education

Active

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

Sponsor: Stevens, White
Last action: 2026-04-09
Official status: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the duration of temporary clinical permits.

Clarifying Teaching Credentials for Tennessee

This bill changes rules about temporary teaching permits and clinical practice requirements for teachers in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

Allows someone who has started but not finished their required classroom training to get a temporary teaching permit if they meet other requirements.
Permits individuals with a temporary teaching permit to combine the time spent on classroom training before getting the permit with the time taught under the permit to complete the total required clinical practice hours.

Who It Names or Affects

Teachers and school personnel in Tennessee who are still completing their education requirements.

Terms To Know

Clinical Practice: Hands-on classroom experience required for teacher certification.
Temporary Clinical Permit: A short-term teaching permit given to individuals who are close to completing their training requirements.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how long the temporary clinical permits will last.
It is unclear if this change affects only new teachers or also applies to current educators seeking additional certifications.

Amendments

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

HA1006

Amendment 1-0 to HB2305

Plain English: The amendment changes the requirements for a temporary clinical teaching permit in Tennessee, allowing individuals who have not completed all of their education preparation program (EPP) coursework to receive such permits.

Allows teachers with incomplete EPP coursework, including those who haven't started or finished the required clinical practice, to get a temporary clinical permit.

The amendment text does not specify how long these temporary permits are valid for or what conditions must be met to convert them into full teaching credentials.
It is unclear if there are additional requirements or limitations placed on teachers holding these temporary permits.

SA0543

Amendment 1-0 to SB2407

Plain English: The amendment changes the requirements for a temporary teaching permit by allowing individuals who have not completed all of their education preparation program (EPP) coursework, specifically the clinical practice part, to still receive this permit.

Allows teachers with incomplete EPP clinical practice to get a temporary teaching permit.

The amendment text does not specify how long these individuals have to complete their clinical practice after receiving the temporary permit.

Bill History

2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Reset on cal. for 4/16/2026
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/9/2026
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 4/1/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/17/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/17/2026
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 30, Nays 0
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0543)
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/10/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/5/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/3/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Committee
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/17/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Education Committee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor withdrawn.
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 5, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2407, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 also applies the bill to
an individual who has
n
ot yet begun the clinical practice required
by law
at the time the temporary clinical permit is issued
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2407
By White

HOUSE BILL 2305
By Stevens
HB2305
012023
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 5, relative to teaching credentials.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-106(b)(2), is amended by
deleting subdivision (B) and substituting instead the following:
(B) Has completed all EPP coursework, except for the clinical practice required
in § 49-5-5604 and the rules of the state board of education; this subdivision (b)(2)(B)
applies to an individual who has begun, but not completed, the clinical practice required
pursuant to § 49-5-5604 at the time the temporary clinical permit is issued;
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-106(g), is amended by adding
the following language at the end of subdivision (3):
This subdivision (g)(3) is satisfied if the amount of time the individual completed
toward meeting the clinical practice required pursuant to § 49-5-5604 before the
individual was issued a temporary clinical permit combined with the amount of
time the individual taught under the temporary clinical permit is at least equal to
the amount of time required for candidates of the EPP in which the individual is
enrolled to complete the clinical practice required pursuant to § 49-5-5604.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.