Children

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37; Title 49; Title 50, Chapter 5 and Title 71, relative to children.

Children Education

Active

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

Sponsor: Stinnett, Hatcher
Last action: 2026-04-09
Official status: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact number of high school students who will take advantage of this opportunity is unknown.

High School Students Can Work at Child Care Centers

This bill allows high school students aged 16 to 18 to work in child care centers during or outside of school hours if they have taken certain classes.

What This Bill Does

Allows high school students who are 16 years old but younger than 19 to work at child care centers through a work-based learning program.
Requires these students to complete at least two courses in an education and training career cluster before working at the child care center.

Who It Names or Affects

High school students aged 16 to 18 who want to work in child care centers.
Child care centers that can hire these high school students for work-based learning programs.

Terms To Know

work-based learning program: A program where students learn job skills by working at a real job while still in school.
education and training career cluster: A group of jobs that involve teaching, training, or helping people to learn new things.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not allow students to work at child care centers in homes where the primary caregiver lives.
It is unclear how many high school students will take advantage of this opportunity.
Rules for implementing this law will be made by the Department of Health.

Amendments

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

HA0942

Amendment 1-0 to HB2398

Plain English: This amendment allows high school students who are at least 16 years old to work in child care centers if they have completed certain education requirements.

Allows 16-year-old or older high school students to work in child care centers outside and during school hours through a work-based learning program.
Requires that the student has taken at least two courses related to the education and training career cluster.

The specific rules for implementing this change will be created by the department, but these rules are not detailed in the amendment text.

SA0598

Amendment 1-0 to SB2525

Plain English: This amendment allows high school students who are at least 16 years old to work in child care centers during or after school hours if they have completed two courses related to education and training.

Allows 16-year-old high school students to work in child care centers outside of school hours or during school hours through a work-based learning program.
Requires that the student has taken at least two courses in an education and training program.

The exact rules for implementing this change will be determined by the department after the amendment is passed, following specific administrative procedures.

Bill History

2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/6/2026
2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Health Committee
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/25/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/25/2026
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 32, Nays 0
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0598)
2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/18/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
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 Health Subcommittee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/4/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/4/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Health Committee - Government Operations for Review
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 authorizes a high school student who is older than 15 but younger than 19 to work in a child care center outside of school hours or during school hours through a work-based learning program if the student has completed at least two courses in a
program of study that falls under the education and training career cluster. However, this bill does not permit a high school student to work in a child care center located in an occupied residence of the primary caregiver.

RULEMAKING

This bill authorizes the department of health to promulgate rules to effectuate this bill.

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2525, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 c
larifies that authorization to work in a child care center under this bill applies to students who are 1
6 years of age or older
, instead of
older than 15 years of age but younger than 19 years of age
. This amendment also removes language specifying that this bill does not permit a
high school student to work in a child care center located in an occupied residence of the primary caregive
r.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2525
By Hatcher

HOUSE BILL 2398
By Stinnett
HB2398
012747
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37;
Title 49; Title 50, Chapter 5 and Title 71, relative to
children.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Notwithstanding § 50-5-105, a high school student who is older than fifteen
(15) years of age but younger than nineteen (19) years of age may work in a child care
center outside of school hours or during school hours through a work-based learning
program if the student has completed at least two (2) courses in a program of study that
falls under the education and training career cluster.
(b) This section does not permit a high school student to work in a child care
center located in an occupied residence of the primary caregiver.
(c) The department may promulgate rules to effectuate this section. The rules
must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act,
compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.