Education

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on the exact composition of the task force or procedural requirements beyond those mentioned.

Creating an Education Task Force in Tennessee

This bill creates a task force to study how Tennessee can handle changes if federal rules about K-12 education are relaxed.

What This Bill Does

• Creates a seven-member task force to prepare Tennessee for potential deregulation of federal laws, regulations, requirements, and guidance affecting K-12 education.
• Requires the task force to identify all federal funding allocated to Tennessee's Department of Education and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in the previous fiscal year for K-12 education, including where it comes from, how it is used, and its total amount.
• The task force must also identify the federal requirements that Tennessee or LEAs must comply with to receive this funding, as well as state and LEA obligations and resources necessary to maintain eligibility for these funds.
• Requires the task force to report back by December 31, 2025, with findings and recommendations on how Tennessee should proceed if significant changes occur at the federal level regarding K-12 education.

Who It Names or Affects

• The members of the task force include representatives from both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly and a licensed educator appointed by the governor.
• Local Education Agencies (LEAs) will need to provide information about their use of federal funds to the task force.

Terms To Know

K-12 education

Education from kindergarten through twelfth grade, covering elementary and secondary school levels.

Task Force

A group of people brought together to deal with a specific issue or problem for a limited time.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what actions Tennessee will take based on the task force's recommendations.
• It is unclear how much federal funding changes might affect Tennessee’s education system in the future.

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 27, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 950, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to create a seven-member federal education deregulation cooperation task force
to prepare Tennessee for the potential of deregulation of federal laws, regulations, requirements, and guidance for kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) education. The task force will consist of the following members:

(1) The chair of the education
committee of the house of representatives;

(2) Two members of the house of representatives who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(3) The chair of the education committee of the senate;

(4) Two members of the senate who a
re appointed by the speaker of the senate; and

(5) One member who is a licensed educator in this state who is appointed by the governor.

This amendment requires the chair of the senate education committee to convene the task force for its first meetin
g no later than August 1, 2025. The full text of this amendment specifies organizational and procedural requirements for the task force, such as election of officer, officers' duties, and removal of officers. The task force members serve without compens
a
tion, but may receive reimbursement for travel expenses.

This amendment requires the general assembly staff, state board of education, department of education, LEAs, and the office of legislative budget analysis to assist the task force in discharging th
e task force's duties in this section as requested by the chair of the task force.

This amendment requires the task force to do the following:

(1) Identify all federal funding allocated to the department of education and LEAs in this state for the pre
vious fiscal year for K-12 education, specifying the federal program from which any such funds are allocated, the uses of the allocations by the department or LEAs, and the amount of the allocations;

(2) Identify the federal requirements that the state o
r an LEA must comply with in order to receive federal funding;

(3) Identify the state and LEA obligations and resources that are necessary in order to receive federal funding;

(4) Identify the number of state and local employment positions funded throu
gh federal allocations ; and

(5) Consider whether the programs or resources provided using federal funding should be continued at the state level if the federal funding is eliminated.

This amendment requires the task force to compile and submit a
report of the task force's findings and make recommendations on how this state should proceed if significant changes in K-12 education are made at the federal level to the general assembly by December 31, 2025. The task force will cease to exist upon the

task force's submission of the report.

ON APRIL 22, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 950 FOR HOUSE BILL 958, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 950, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 i
ncorporates the provisions of Senate Amendment #1 with the
following changes:

(1) Substitutes the standing committee of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over subject matters pertaining to K-12 education for a reference to the house ed
u
cation committee;

(2) Removes the requirement that the task f
orce elect a secretary;

(3) Clarifies that members of the task force who are legislators serve without compensation, except for the mileage and per diem allowance that is provided by the general assembly; and

(4) Specifies that the task force is requir
ed to deliver its report to the speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the chief clerk of each house of the general assembly, and the legislative librarian.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 958
By Slater

SENATE BILL 950
By Powers

SB0950
000475
- 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, Section 49-2-103(a)(3), is amended by
deleting "July 10 each year" and substituting "July 20 of each year".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.