KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

SB1612 • 2026

State Employees

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

Children Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Bailey, Hale
Last action
2026-04-17
Official status
Transmitted to Governor for action.
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: House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.

  • House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB2268 Crawford Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1612* House Bill No.
  • 2268 HA0883 013422 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1612

Plain English: Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB1612 Briggs Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1612* House Bill No.
  • 2268 SA0887 013422 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  2. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  3. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  4. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  5. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0883)

  7. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  8. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  15. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  16. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  17. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0887)

  18. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  19. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  37. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  38. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  39. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  40. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  41. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  42. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  43. 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.