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SB0928 • 2026

Education

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to high school graduation requirements.

Education Healthcare Technology
Active

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

Sponsor
Walley, Haston
Last action
2025-03-26
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

High School Diploma Requirements Change

This bill allows Tennessee high school students focusing on career and technical education to substitute up to four credits from those courses for specific academic course credits needed for a full diploma.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the rules about what classes are required to graduate from high school in Tennessee.
  • Allows students who choose career and technical education (CTE) programs to use up to four CTE class credits instead of some regular academic class credits.
  • Specifically, these substitutions can be made for chemistry, computer science, world language, or Algebra II classes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • High school students in Tennessee who are working on career and technical education programs.
  • The state board of education which sets the rules for high school graduation.

Terms To Know

career and technical education (CTE)
Classes that teach job skills and prepare students for careers in specific fields like technology, healthcare, or trades.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how many students will be affected by this change.
  • It is unclear what the impact on academic standards might be with these changes to graduation requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee

  2. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in s/c K-12 Subcommittee of Education Committee

  3. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  5. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/26/2025

  6. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/25/2025

  7. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/25/2025

  8. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  9. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  10. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/18/2025

  11. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  12. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  13. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee

  14. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  15. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  16. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  17. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  18. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

To rece
ive a full diploma upon graduation from high school,
present law requires that
a student must meet requirements as set forth by the state board of education
. This bill requires the state board to
authorize a student who is working toward completing a care
er and technical education elective focus to substitute up to four career and technical education course credits for the required chemistry course credit, computer science course credit, world language course credit, and Algebra II course credit necessary

to earn a full diploma upon graduation from high school
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1001
By Haston

SENATE BILL 928
By Walley

SB0928
003082
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to high school graduation requirements.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-6001(a), is amended by
designating the subsection as subdivision (a)(1) and adding the following as a new subdivision:
(2) The state board of education shall authorize a student who is working toward
completing a career and technical education elective focus to substitute up to four (4)
career and technical education course credits for the required chemistry course credit,
computer science course credit, world language course credit, and Algebra II course
credit necessary to earn a full diploma upon graduation from high school as set forth by
the state board of education pursuant to subdivision (a)(1).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.