Education, Curriculum

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Tennessee Civics Education Act

This bill requires Tennessee schools to show approved civics videos to students in grades 6-8 and 9-12 starting from the 2027-2028 school year.

What This Bill Does

• Requires each local education agency (LEA) and public charter school to present a civics instructional video at least once to students in grades 6-8 and again for students in grades 9-12 starting from the 2027-2028 school year.
• The state board of education must approve at least one civics instructional video by July 1, 2027. The approved video must be historically accurate and free of political advocacy.
• Approved videos must include information about the Declaration of Independence's preamble and the religious beliefs of founding fathers involved in the Articles of Confederation and Constitutional Convention.

Who It Names or Affects

• Local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools
• Students in grades 6-8 and 9-12

Terms To Know

LEA

Local Education Agency, which refers to a local school district or other agency responsible for providing public education.

Civics Instructional Video

An educational video approved by the state board of education that teaches students about civics and American history.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what will happen if an LEA or charter school fails to comply with this requirement.
• It is unclear how the effectiveness of these videos in educating students will be measured.

Official Summary Text

Present law requires the state board of education to include in the social studies curriculum standards designed to educate children about the United States and Tennessee governments, at the appropriate grade level or levels in high school, as determined
by the state board of education through standards and the local board of education through curriculum, courses, and content.

Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, and in conjunction with the social studies curriculum described above, this bill requires each LEA and public charter school to present a civics instructional video approved by the state board of education at lea
st once to students in grades 6-8 and at least once to students in grades 9-12. The state board must approve at least one civics instructional video for such purposes no later than July 1, 2027. However, the state board must not create or request an ind
iv
idual or entity to create a video for such purposes.

This bill requires an approved civics instructional video approved to meet all of the following criteria:



Be historically accurate and devoid of political advocacy.



Include information about the Declaration of Independence, specifically the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, and the meaning behind and purpose of the quote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."



Include information about the religious affiliation and moral beliefs of the founding fathers involved with the Articles of Confederation and the Constitutional Convention.

ON MARCH 9, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2395, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to require the state textbook and instructional materials quality commission to
recommend to the state board of education for approval at least one civics instructional video
that meets the requirements described in the Summary for the introduced bill, no
later than February 1, 2027. Th
is amendment prohibits the
commission
from
creat
ing
or request
ing
an
other
to create
such
a video.
This amendment requires the
state board
to
approve at least one civics instructional video b
y July 1, 2027
.

Present law generally exempts supplemental instructional materials from the commission's review process. This amendment specifies that the board-approved civics videos will be
considered supplemental instructional material
s
.

Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year,
this amendment requires
each LEA and public charter school shall, as part of the social studies curriculum,
to
present a civics instructional video approved by the state board of education least once to students in grades six through eight and at least once to students in grades nine through
1
2.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1953
By Lowe

HOUSE BILL 2395
By Reneau
HB2395
011494
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 1 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to
social studies education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-1028, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(e)
(1) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, and in conjunction with
the social studies curriculum, each LEA and public charter school shall present a
civics instructional video approved by the state board of education at least once
to students in grades six through eight (6-8) and at least once to students in
grades nine through twelve (9-12).
(2) The state board shall approve at least one (1) civics instructional
video for purposes of subdivision (e)(1) no later than July 1, 2027. The state
board shall not create or request an individual or entity to create a video for
purposes of this subdivision (e)(2). A civics instructional video approved
pursuant to this subdivision (e)(2) must:
(A) Be historically accurate and devoid of political advocacy; and
(B) Include information about:
(i) The Declaration of Independence, specifically the
preamble to the Declaration of Independence, and the meaning
behind and purpose of the quote, "We hold these truths to be self-
evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by

- 2 - 011494

their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"; and
(ii) The religious affiliation and moral beliefs of the
founding fathers involved with the Articles of Confederation and
the Constitutional Convention.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.