HB2393 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

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

Education Labor

Active

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

Sponsor: Reneau, Hensley
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's summary and text do not provide detailed information on the full extent of exceptions for digital device use.

Limiting Digital Device Use in Elementary Schools

This bill requires local education agencies and public charter schools serving students from kindergarten to fifth grade to restrict digital device use by both students and teachers, with certain exceptions.

What This Bill Does

Requires LEAs and public charter schools to prohibit K-5 students from accessing digital devices at school.
Prohibits teachers and other employees from using digital devices to provide instruction or administer assessments electronically to K-5 students, except in specific cases.

Who It Names or Affects

Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools serving kindergarten through fifth grade students.
Teachers and other employees working in these schools.
Students from kindergarten to fifth grade.

Terms To Know

Digital device: Any electronic hardware used for instructional purposes that can access, process, store, or transmit data.
LEA: Local Education Agency, which refers to a public school system.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not apply to public virtual schools.
It allows for the use of digital devices under certain circumstances such as special education requirements and state-mandated assessments.

Amendments

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

HA0824

Amendment 1-0 to HB2393

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that requires local education agencies and public charter schools serving kindergarten through fifth grade students to adopt policies limiting the use of digital devices for instructional purposes.

Defines 'digital device', 'parent', and 'social media' in relation to educational settings.
Requires LEAs and public charter schools to create policies that prioritize non-electronic materials and limit unnecessary screen time for K-5 students.
Prohibits K-5 students from accessing social media through school-provided internet during the instructional day.

The amendment does not specify how LEAs will ensure compliance with these policies or provide enforcement mechanisms.

HA0930

Amendment 2-0 to HB2393

Plain English: The amendment changes who is responsible for certain education-related duties by including private schools and removing some restrictions on local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools.

Replaces 'Each LEA and public charter school' with a broader list of entities, including private schools that enroll recipients under specific sections of Tennessee Code Annotated.
Updates references to 'LEA or public charter school' in certain subdivisions to include the newly defined entities.

The exact nature and extent of duties these changes affect are not detailed in the amendment text, making it unclear what specific responsibilities are being altered for private schools, LEAs, and public charter schools.

SA0607

Amendment 1-0 to SB2310

Defines 'digital device', 'parent', and 'social media' in relation to educational settings.
Requires LEAs and public charter schools to create policies that prioritize non-electronic materials and limit unnecessary screen time for K-5 students.
Prohibits K-5 students from accessing social media through school-provided internet services during the instructional day.

The amendment does not specify how LEAs will ensure compliance with these policies or provide enforcement mechanisms.

Bill History

2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 87, Nays 6, PNV 0
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Failed to adopt am. (Amenmdment 2 - HA0930), Ayes 23, Nays 71, PNV 0
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0824)
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
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
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0607)
2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
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
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 1
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/3/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee to Next Available Calendar
2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/17/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
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
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

This bill requires each LEA and public charter school that serves students in any of the grades K-5 to prohibit all of the following:



Students in those grades from accessing digital devices at school.


Teachers and other employees of the LEA or public charter school from using a digital device to provide instruction to students in those grades.


Teachers and other employees of the LEA or public charter school from administering an assessment to students in those grades in an electronic format.

However, this bill does not apply to public virtual schools or the administration of a universal screener adopted by the state board of education, the Tennessee universal screener, a dyslexia screening, a state-adopted benchmark assessment, or any other
assessment required by the state. Further, this bill does not supersede an LEA's or public charter school's obligation to comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal Rehabilitation Act, or the federal Americans with D
is
abilities Act.

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2310, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 r
ewrites this bill to require e
ach LEA and public charter school serving students in any of the grades K
–
5
to
adopt a policy governing the age-appropriate and instructional use of digital devices by students to minimize unnecessary screen time while preserving instructional effectiveness.
The full text of this amendment lists five components that must be included in such policies.

This
amendment specifies that this bill
does not prohibit the use of digital devices for:

(1) Targeted instructional support, intervention, or remediation;

(2) Accommodations or services required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or the Americans with Disabilities Act;

(3) Administration of a universal screener adopted by the state board of education, a Tennessee universal screener, dyslexia screenings, state-adopted benchmark assessments, or other assessments required by state or federal law;

(4) Teacher preparation, lesson planning, or professional use;

(5) Public virtual schools;

(6) Homebound instruction;

(7) Remote instructional; or

(8) Hybrid learning days.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2310
By Hensley

HOUSE BILL 2393
By Reneau
HB2393
012695
- 1 -

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

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 3, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Digital device" means electronic hardware used for instructional
purposes that can access, process, store, or transmit data;
(2) "Parent" means a parent or legal guardian of a student; and
(3) "Social media" means a form of interactive electronic communication
through an internet website or application by which a user creates a service-
specific identifying user profile to connect with other users of the internet website
or application for purposes of communicating and sharing information, ideas,
news, stories, opinions, images, videos, and other content.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), each LEA and public charter school
that serves students in any of the grades kindergarten through five (K-5) shall prohibit:
(1) Students in any of the grades kindergarten through five (K-5) from
accessing digital devices at school;
(2) Teachers and other employees of the LEA or public charter school
from using a digital device to provide instruction to students in any of the grades
kindergarten through five (K-5); and

- 2 - 012695

(3) Teachers and other employees of the LEA or public charter school
from administering an assessment to students in any of the grades kindergarten
through five (K-5) in an electronic format.
(c) This section does not:
(1) Apply to public virtual schools;
(2) Supersede an LEA's or public charter school's obligation to comply
with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.),
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794), or the Americans with
Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.); or
(3) Apply to the administration of a universal screener adopted by the
state board of education, the Tennessee universal screener, a dyslexia
screening, a state-adopted benchmark assessment, or any other assessment
required by the state.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.