Education

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text provides detailed requirements for each field day but does not explicitly mention virtual tours or traveling civics programs as alternatives unless impractical due to budget constraints.

Civic Engagement Field Days for High School Students

This act requires Tennessee high schools to provide students in U.S. government and civics courses with three civic engagement field days, one focusing on each branch of government.

What This Bill Does

• Requires public high schools to offer three civic engagement field days to students enrolled in a United States government and civics course.
• Each field day must include structured learning activities aligned with state academic standards for the U.S. government and civics course.
• For the legislative branch, students visit city councils, county commissions, or the general assembly.
• For the judicial branch, students visit courthouses to observe proceedings or meet with judges and court officials.
• For the executive branch, students visit offices of mayors, county executives, or the governor.

Who It Names or Affects

• High school students enrolled in U.S. government and civics courses
• Public high schools providing these courses

Terms To Know

LEA

Local Education Agency, which refers to a public board of education or other public authority responsible for the administrative control and management of public elementary or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision.

Limits and Unknowns

• Schools are not required to reschedule field days if students are absent.
• If actual visits are impractical due to budget constraints, schools may use virtual tours or state-approved traveling civics programs.

Official Summary Text

For the 2026-2027 school year, and each school year thereafter, this bill requires each public high school to provide students who are enrolled in a United States government and civics course with three civic engagement field days, with one field day for
each of the three distinct branches of government. Such a civic engagement field day must meet all of the following criteria:



Include structured learning activities aligned with the state board-adopted academic standards for the United States government and civics course.



For purposes of the civic engagement field day that covers the legislative branch, include a class visit to a city council, county commission, or the general assembly.



For purposes of the civic engagement field day that covers the judicial branch, include a class visit to a courthouse to allow students to observe a judicial proceeding or to meet with a judge or court official.



For purposes of the civic engagement field day that covers the executive branch, include a class visit to the office of a mayor, county executive, or to the office of the governor.

If a high school student who is enrolled in the course is absent from school on the day for which a class visit described above occurs, then this bill clarifies that the public high school is not required to reschedule the class visit or arrange for a se
parate visit for the absent student. Additionally, a public high school may prohibit a student who is enrolled in the course from attending a class visit described above for disciplinary reasons in accordance with the disciplinary policy of the LEA or pu
bl
ic charter school.

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1819, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 a
dds that, if
civic engagement field day
s are
impracticable due to budgetary constraints for the LEA or public high school, then the public high school may participat
e
in:

(1) Verified virtual tours of the locations
associated with the three branches of government;

(2) State-approved traveling civics programs; or

(3) Visits to the public high school by public officials who serve the county in which the public high school is located during which time the students participate in interactive instructional sessions.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 1747
By Freeman

SENATE BILL 1819
By Campbell
SB1819
011092
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to civics engagement.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 4, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Each public high school shall provide students who are enrolled in a United
States government and civics course with three (3) civic engagement field days, one (1)
for each of the three (3) distinct branches of government. A civic engagement field day
required pursuant to this subsection (a) must:
(1) Include structured learning activities aligned with the state board-
adopted academic standards for the United States government and civics
course; and
(2) For purposes of the civic engagement field day that covers the:
(A) Legislative branch, include a class visit to a city council,
county commission, or the general assembly;
(B) Judicial branch, include a class visit to a courthouse to allow
students to observe a judicial proceeding or to meet with a judge or court
official; and
(C) Executive branch, include a class visit to the office of a
mayor, county executive, or to the office of the governor.
(b) If a high school student who is enrolled in the United States government and
civics course is absent from school on the day for which a class visit described in

- 2 - 011092

subdivision (a)(2) occurs, then the public high school is not required to reschedule the
class visit or arrange for a separate visit for the absent student.
(c) A public high school may prohibit a student who is enrolled in the United
States government and civics course from attending a class visit described in
subdivision (a)(2) for disciplinary reasons in accordance with the disciplinary policy of the
LEA or public charter school.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it,
and applies to the 2026-2027 school year and each school year thereafter.