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SB1612 • 2026

State Employees

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and Title 8, relative to state employees.

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Active

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

Sponsor
Bailey, Hale
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Passed H., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 0
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the number of courses that can be taken with a tuition waiver or additional location restrictions beyond leased office buildings.

Changes to State Employee Benefits

This bill changes rules about where child care programs for state employees can be located and removes restrictions on tuition waivers for full-time state employees.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows child care programs for state employees to be in leased office buildings, not just state-owned ones.
  • Removes the rule that says full-time state employees must use tuition waivers one course at a time.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Full-time state employees in Tennessee
  • State agencies and departments

Terms To Know

Tuition Waiver
A program that allows full-time state employees to take college courses for free or at a reduced cost.
Leased Office Buildings
Buildings rented by the government instead of owned by it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how many courses employees can take with their tuition waiver.
  • It is unclear if there are any limits on where child care programs for state employees can be located beyond leased office buildings.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2268

Plain English: The amendment changes a rule about waivers for state employees so that they can use one waiver for more than one course instead of just one course at a time.

  • Removes the restriction that allows state employee waivers to be used only for one course at a time, allowing them to cover multiple courses.
  • The amendment removes an entire subsection (h) from Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-114, but does not provide details about what was in that subsection or how its removal will affect the overall rule.
  • It is unclear what specific benefits or changes this adjustment to waiver usage will bring for state employees.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1612

Plain English: The amendment changes a rule about waivers for state employees taking courses, allowing them to use one waiver for multiple courses instead of just one course at a time.

  • Removes the restriction that allows state employees to use a waiver only for one course at a time and permits its usage for more than one course.
  • The amendment removes an entire subsection (h) of Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-114, but does not specify what was in that subsection or how its removal will affect the overall law.
  • It is unclear from the provided text what other implications this change might have on state employees' course waiver policies.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 0

  2. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0883)

  3. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  4. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  6. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  7. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  9. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  10. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  11. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  13. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0887)

  14. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  15. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Calendar & Rules Committee to 4/9/2026

  16. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026

  17. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  18. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  19. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  20. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  21. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2026

  22. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  23. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  24. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  25. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  26. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  27. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026

  28. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026

  29. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  30. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  31. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  32. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  33. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  34. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  35. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  36. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  37. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  38. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1612, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, (i) remove the requirement for waivers to be used only one course at a time for academic courses that full-time state employees are eligible to take without paying
tuition charges, maintenance fees, student activity fees, registration fees, or online course fees
, and (ii) authorize the waiver to be used for more than one course at a time.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2268
By Hale

SENATE BILL 1612
By Bailey
SB1612
009154
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and
Title 8, relative to state employees.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-1301(b), is amended by
deleting the language "state-owned office buildings" and substituting "state-owned or leased
office buildings".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.