Local Education Agencies

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

Education Privacy

Active

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

Sponsor: Southerland
Last action: 2025-02-12
Official status: Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Special Education Classroom Surveillance Cameras

This bill requires local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools in Tennessee to install, maintain, and use video camera surveillance systems in special education classrooms upon parental request and consent.

What This Bill Does

Requires LEAs and public charter schools to install and maintain video cameras in special education classrooms when requested by parents.
Allows the continuous monitoring of students, teachers, and staff using these cameras during special education or related services sessions.
Limits the use of camera footage to viewing by the student's parent only, under specific privacy laws.
Requires LEAs and public charter schools to create policies for maintaining video footage collected from surveillance systems.

Who It Names or Affects

Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in Tennessee
Public Charter Schools in Tennessee
Parents of students receiving special education services

Terms To Know

Special Education Classroom: A classroom where a majority of the students receive special education and related services for at least half of their instructional day.
LEA: Local Education Agency, which refers to school districts or other local agencies responsible for providing public educational programs.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact costs associated with installing and maintaining surveillance systems.
It is unclear how much additional funding will be required from local governments due to multiple unknown factors.

Bill History

Date Tennessee General Assembly
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
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

<BillNo> <Sponsor>

SENATE BILL 972
By Southerland

SB0972
002687
- 1 -

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

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a)
(1) An LEA or public charter school shall, at the request of the parent of a
student enrolled in the LEA or public charter school, install and maintain a video
camera surveillance system in each special education classroom operated by the
LEA or public charter school to promote student safety.
(2) Subject to subsection (b), an LEA or public charter school shall use
the video camera surveillance system installed in a special education classroom
to continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff in the special education
classroom while special education or related services are being provided to
students in the special education classroom.
(b) An LEA or public charter school shall not use a video camera surveillance
system to continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff in a special education
classroom unless the parent of each student assigned to receive special education or
related services in the special education classroom, and who may be monitored using
the system, consents, in writing, to the parent's student being continuously monitored
using the system while the parent's student is receiving special education or related
services in the special education classroom.

- 2 - 002687

(c) Photographs or video footage collected from a video camera surveillance
system installed in a special education classroom by an LEA or public charter school
pursuant to this section must only be viewed by the parent of a student who is featured
in the photograph or recording and only to the extent that such viewing complies with the
requirements of § 10-7-504, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20
U.S.C. § 1232g), or any other relevant or applicable state or federal privacy law.
(d) Each local board of education and public charter school governing body shall
adopt a policy to effectuate this section. The policy must establish the duration for which
an LEA or public charter school must maintain photographs or video footage collected
from a video camera surveillance system installed in a special education classroom.
(e) As used in this section:
(1) "Parent" means the parent, guardian, person who has custody of the
child, or individual who has caregiving authority under § 49-6-3001;
(2) "Special education classroom" means a self-contained classroom or
special education setting in which a majority of the students in regular attendance
are provided special education and related services for at least fifty percent
(50%) of the instructional day; and
(3) "Student" means a student in any of the grades pre-kindergarten
through twelve (pre-K-12) who receives special education and related services.
SECTION 2. For purposes of developing and adopting policies, this act takes effect
upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, 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.