Education

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 37 and Title 49, relative to student behavior.

Education Taxes

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: Taylor, Reedy
Last action: 2025-03-26
Official status: Failed in Senate Education Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Early Behavioral Intervention and Reporting Act

This bill requires local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to implement a computer-based system for tracking early warning signs of student safety issues and train staff on how to use it.

What This Bill Does

Requires LEAs and public charter schools to create threat assessment teams.
Mandates the implementation of a computer-based system where teachers and school staff can input data about students' early warning signs, such as behavioral or health issues.
Requiring training for all teachers and staff on identifying these early warning signs and using the new system.
Requires annual reports to be submitted to the Department of Education summarizing collected data and interventions provided.
Allows the commissioner of education to withhold state funds from schools that do not comply with this act.

Who It Names or Affects

Local education agencies (LEAs) in Tennessee
Public charter schools in Tennessee

Terms To Know

early warning signs: Evidence of a student's safety, health, or behavioral issues.
threat assessment team: A group within LEAs and public charter schools responsible for reviewing reports of early warning signs and determining necessary actions.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass the Senate Education Committee.
It is unclear how much it will cost to implement this system across all affected schools.

Amendments

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

HA0061

Amendment 1-0 to HB0522

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that requires schools to use computer systems to track and report early warning signs of student safety or behavioral issues.

Schools must implement a computer-based system for teachers and staff to input data about students showing early warning signs, such as bullying, threats, substance abuse, mental health issues, self-harm, or suicidal ideation.
Each school district (LEA) and public charter school must train their staff on identifying these warning signs and using the new computer-based system.
The system must notify designated personnel when a warning sign is entered for a student, allowing them to review past notifications and decide if further action is needed.

The amendment does not specify how schools will be trained or what kind of training materials they need to use.
It's unclear from the text exactly how much data will be collected or how it will be used beyond reporting requirements.

SA0177

Amendment 1-0 to SB0386

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that requires schools to use computer-based systems to track and report early warning signs of student behavior issues.

Schools must implement a system for teachers and staff to input data about students showing early warning signs, such as bullying or mental health concerns.
The system must notify school safety teams when these signs are reported.
Annual reports on the use of this system must be submitted to the Department of Education without identifying specific students.

The amendment does not specify how schools will train staff or what kind of computer-based systems they should use.

SA0286

Amendment 2-0 to SB0386

Plain English: The amendment adds a new law called the 'Early Behavioral Intervention and Reporting Act' which requires schools to use computer systems to track early warning signs of student issues like bullying or mental health problems.

Schools must create a system for teachers and staff to report early warning signs of student behavior issues, such as bullying or mental health concerns.
The system must notify school safety teams when these signs are reported.
Annual reports on the use of this system must be submitted to the Department of Education.

Details about how schools will train staff and ensure privacy under FERPA are not fully explained in the amendment text.

Bill History

2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Failed in Senate Education Committee
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/26/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/26/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed behind the budget
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/19/2025
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/19/2025
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/19/2025
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/12/2025
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025
2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/11/2025
2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/4/2025
2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Committee
2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/25/2025
2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee to 2/25/2025
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/18/2025
2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Education Committee
2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires e
ach LEA
to
adopt a policy to establish a threat assessment team develop comprehensive intervention-based approaches to prevent violence, manage reports of potential threats, and create a system
that fosters a safe, supportive, and effective school environment.
This bill specifies that public charter schools must also
adopt a policy to establish a threat assessment team
.

This bill requires L
EA
s
and public charter school
s to:

(1) I
mplement a
computer-based system that teachers and school staff must use to input data of early warning signs demonstrated by students enrolled in the LEA or public charter school
; and

(2) E
nsure that each teacher and school staff member is trained to identify ear
ly warning signs and on how to input data into the computer-based system

This bill defines
"early warning signs"
to
mean evidence of a student's safety, health, or behavioral issues.

The full text of this bill specifies three components that the comput
er-based system must include, one of which is the ability to i
mmediately notify the
members of the
LEA's or public charter school's threat assessment team when an early warning sign is entered into the system for a student. Th
is bill requires members of a
school threat assessment team who r
eceiv
e
a notification of an early warning sign of a student
to
review the notification, and any notifications of the student previously received, and determine whether further action is needed to address the student's be
havior of an early warning sign.

This bill requires each L
EA and public charter school
to
annually submit a report to the department of education summarizing the data collected in the immediately preceding school year and the interventions provided, if a
ny.
The reports will be subject to
all relevant privacy laws.

If the commissioner of education finds that an LEA or public charter school is not complying with this
bill's requirements
, then the commissioner
will be authorized to w
ithhold state funds, i
n an amount determined by the commissioner, from the LEA or public charter school until the LEA or public charter school is in compliance with this
bill
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 522
By Reedy

SENATE BILL 386
By Taylor

SB0386
002255
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16;
Title 37 and Title 49, relative to student behavior.

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) This section is known and may be cited as the "Early Behavioral Intervention
and Reporting Act."
(b) As used in this section, "early warning signs" means evidence of a student's
safety, health, or behavioral issues and includes, but is not limited to, indicators of a
student engaging in or being the victim of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyber-
bullying; making or receiving threats of violence; and exhibiting signs of substance
abuse, mental health issues, self-harm, or suicidal ideation.
(c) Each LEA and public charter school shall implement a computer-based
system that teachers and school staff must use to input data of early warning signs
demonstrated by students enrolled in the LEA or public charter school. Each LEA and
public charter school shall ensure that each teacher and school staff member is trained
to identify early warning signs and on how to input data into the computer-based system.
(d) The computer-based system implemented pursuant to subsection (c) must:
(1) Align with the requirements in § 49-6-4503; the School Discipline Act,
compiled in part 41 of this chapter; and the school safety plans adopted by the
LEA or public charter school pursuant to the Schools Against Violence in
Education (SAVE) Act, compiled in part 8 of this chapter;

- 2 - 002255

(2) Include a database that is capable of receiving and maintaining
student data entered by teachers and school staff on the early warning signs
demonstrated by its students; and
(3) Immediately notify the LEA's or public charter school's personnel
serving on the LEA's or public charter school's threat assessment team created
pursuant to § 49-6-2701 when an early warning sign is entered into the system
for a student.
(e) The LEA or public charter school personnel receiving a notification of an
early warning sign of a student pursuant to subdivision (d)(3) shall review the
notification, and any notifications of the student previously received, and determine
whether further action is needed to address the student's behavior of an early warning
sign.
(f) Each LEA and public charter school shall annually submit a report to the
department of education summarizing the data collected in the immediately preceding
school year and the interventions provided, if any.
(g) Reports made pursuant to this section must comply with the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g); § 10-7-504; the Data
Accessibility, Transparency, and Accountability Act, compiled in chapter 1, part 7 of this
title; and all other relevant privacy laws.
(h) If the commissioner of education finds that an LEA or public charter school is
not complying with this section, then the commissioner may withhold state funds, in an
amount determined by the commissioner, from the LEA or public charter school until the
LEA or public charter school is in compliance with this section.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2701, is amended by adding
"and public charter school" after "Each LEA", adding "or public charter school" after "LEA"

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wherever it appears in the section, adding "or public charter school's" after "LEA's" in subsection
(b), adding "or public charter school governing body" after "local board of education" in
subsection (e), and adding "or the director of the public charter school" after "the director of
schools" in subsection (e).
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2702(b), is amended by adding
"or public charter school" after "LEA" and adding "or public charter school's" after "LEA's".
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.