SB0821 • 2026

Education, Curriculum

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

Education

Active

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

Sponsor: Hensley, Jones R
Last action: 2026-04-14
Official status: Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific information on the exact fiscal impact or the selection process for the three LEAs involved in the pilot program.

Tennessee Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention Program Act

This act establishes a three-year pilot grant program for local education agencies (LEAs) to advance substance abuse and violence prevention programs aimed at reducing tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use among students.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a three-year pilot grant program for LEAs to advance their substance abuse and violence prevention efforts.
Requires participating LEAs to implement evidence-based prevention programs in grades 3-12 throughout the school year.
Limits each grant award to $13,000 per LEA.
Requires participating LEAs to submit annual reports on program effectiveness to various state departments and committees.

Who It Names or Affects

Local education agencies (LEAs) in Tennessee that apply for and receive grants under the pilot program.
Students in grades 3-12 who will participate in substance abuse and violence prevention programs.

Terms To Know

local education agency (LEA): An organization responsible for providing public education to students within a specific geographic area, such as a school district.
coordinated school health program: A comprehensive approach to improving the health and well-being of students through various programs that address physical, mental, social, and emotional health needs.

Limits and Unknowns

The exact fiscal impact cannot be determined due to unknown factors such as vendor selection and instructional material costs.
This pilot program is limited to three LEAs for the duration of three years starting in the 2026-2027 school year.

Amendments

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

HA0552

Amendment 1-0 to HB0902

Plain English: The amendment adds new requirements for schools to teach students about avoiding substance abuse and violence through a pilot grant program starting in the 2026-2027 school year.

Schools must implement a three-year pilot program funded by grants from the department of education, aimed at preventing tobacco, alcohol, and drug use among students.
The program requires schools to teach students from grades 3 through 12 about avoiding substance abuse and violence using age-appropriate methods.
Each school receiving a grant must submit an annual report on the effectiveness of their prevention programs.

The exact details of how the grants will be awarded and managed are not specified in this amendment text.

SA0963

Amendment 1-0 to SB0821

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated that establishes a three-year pilot program for grants to help schools prevent substance abuse and violence among students.

Adds a definition of 'substance abuse and violence prevention program' which includes educational programs aimed at preventing drug use, promoting healthy living, and fostering resilience in students.
Establishes a grant program run by the department of education for three (3) local education agencies (LEAs) to implement substance abuse and violence prevention programs starting from 2026-2027 school year until July 1, 2029.
Requires LEAs receiving grants to instruct students in grades 3 through 12 on avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs, prepare annual reports on the effectiveness of their programs, and submit these reports to various state departments and committees.

The amendment does not specify how many LEAs will receive grants or what criteria will be used for selection.
It is unclear from the text whether additional funding beyond the $13,300 grant limit per LEA will be provided by other sources.

Bill History

2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0963)
2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/1/2026
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/1/2026
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/1/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed behind the budget
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/18/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 2/10/2026
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee / Behind the budget
2026-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 2/3/2026
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 1/27/2026
2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 2/3/2026
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 1/20/2026
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 1/27/2026
2026-01-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 1/13/2026
2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee to 1st Calendar of 2026
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to First Calendar of 2026
2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/8/2025
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 4/1/2025
2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 4/1/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/25/2025
2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Committee
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/18/2025
2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee to 3/18/2025
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/12/2025
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/11/2025
2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee
2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Education Committee
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 14, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 821, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1

r
ewrites the bill to, instead,
establish
a pilot program that provides grants to
local education agencies ("
LEAs
")
to advance substance abuse and violence prevention programs.
As used in this amendment, a
"substance abuse and violence prevention program" is a program or series of programs that
meets all of the following criteria:



Equips students with knowledge, skills, and resilience for healthy living and strong decision-making.


Fosters long-term resilience against substance use, mental health challenges, and preventable disorders by engaging families and communities as active partners in student development.


Includes a series of lessons that address the risk and protective factors associated with youth substance use and violence.


Is age and developmentally appropriate for the age and maturity level of the student receiving the instruction.


Aligns with the coordinated school health program guidelines developed by the commissioner of education, in consultation with the department of health.


Includes drug prevention-related education that promotes anti-drug norms and teaches drug-refusal skills and life skills training that foster the development of personal self-management skills and general social skills.


Is provided to students throughout the school year.

A grant awarded pursuant to this amendment must not exceed $13,000.

This amendment requires t
he department of education
("department")

to
administer
the
three-year pilot program to provide grants to
three
LEAs to advance
each
LEA's substance abuse and violence prevention program to avoid tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by students. The pilot program begins in the 2026-2027 school year and terminates on July 1, 2029.

GRANT REQUIREMENTS

In order t
o receive a grant through the program,
this amendment requires
an LEA
to
have an existing substance abuse and violence prevention program for students and submit a grant application to the department
of education
by the application deadline established by the department
of education
.

This amendment requires e
ach LEA that receives a grant to instruct students in grades 3-12 on avoiding
tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs by implementing a substance abuse and violence prevention program, and prepare a report on the effectiveness of the program, including the instruction provided to students through the program, for the immediately preced
ing school year.

This amendment requires t
he report
to
be submitted by June 30, 2027, for the 2026-2027 school year and by June 30 of each subsequent school year that the pilot program is in effect, to
all of
the following:



D
epartment of education.


D
epartment of mental health and substance abuse services.


D
epartment of human services.


C
hairs of the education and health and welfare committees of the senate.


C
hair
s
of the committee
s
of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over education
, health, and insurance.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 902
By Jones R

SENATE BILL 821
By Hensley

SB0821
002875
- 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 10, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Each LEA and public charter school shall annually implement an evidence-
based substance abuse and violence prevention program in each school that serves
students in any of the grades three through twelve (3-12) to reduce tobacco, alcohol,
and illicit drug use by students.
(b) The program selected by the LEA or public charter school must:
(1) Include drug-prevention-related education that promotes anti-drug
norms and teaches drug-refusal skills and life skills training that fosters the
development of personal self-management skills and general social skills;
(2) Be provided to students throughout the school year; and
(3) Supplement, not supplant, any other drug abuse or life skills
education provided by the LEA or public charter school, including, but not limited
to, the drug abuse resistance education (DARE) required in chapter 1, part 4 of
this title, the character education required in § 49-6-1007, any instruction
required as part of a coordinated school health program, and the family life
instruction required in part 13 of this chapter.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to the 2025-2026 school year and each school year thereafter.