Human Resources, Department of

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the consequences if an exempted agency serves non-eligible patrons.

Child Care Agency Licensing Exemption

This bill changes Tennessee law to exempt certain child care agencies that serve military families and are accredited by the U.S. Department of Defense from needing a license.

What This Bill Does

• Adds an exemption for child care agencies providing services through a child development program for children of defense personnel from birth to age 12, if these agencies are accredited by the U.S. Department of Defense.
• Specifies that such exempted agencies do not need a license or special permission to operate as long as they only serve eligible patrons.

Who It Names or Affects

• Child care agencies accredited by the U.S. Department of Defense that provide services through a child development program.
• Children from birth to age 12 whose parents are defense personnel or eligible employees.
• The Tennessee Department of Human Services, which will no longer need to license these specific child care agencies.

Terms To Know

child development program

A program that provides child care services for children from birth to age 12 whose parents are defense personnel or eligible employees.

eligible patron

Someone who qualifies for child development program services, including military service members and their families.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if an exempted agency starts providing services to non-eligible patrons.
• It is unclear how many existing child care agencies will qualify under this new exemption.

Official Summary Text

Present law generally requires a
ll persons or entities operating a child care agency
to
be licensed by the department
of human services
as a child care agency
unless specifically exempted by law. This bill adds that a
child care agency that provides child care services through a child development program
that provides such services for children of the department of defense personnel from birth through age 12
and is accredited by United States department of defens
e
is not subject to licensure and does not
require an exemption from licensing to operate lawfully as long as such agency provides child care services only to an eligible patron.

As used in this bill, an "eligible patron" means a p
atron who qualif
ies
for
child development program
services,
including
active duty Military Service members, DoD civilian employees paid from APF and NAF, Reserve Component Military Service members on inactive duty training, combat related wounded warriors, surviving spouses of military members who died from a combat relate
d incident, eligible employees of DoD contractors, other Federal employees, and those acting in loco parentis of
such
eligible patrons.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 1452
By Glynn

SENATE BILL 2096
By Akbari
SB2096
009929
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71,
Chapter 3, relative to child care agencies.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 71-3-503, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(g)
(1) A child care agency that provides child care services through a child
development program and is accredited by the United States department of
defense, as described in 32 CFR 79, is not subject to licensure and does not
require an exemption from licensing to operate lawfully as long as such child care
agency provides child care services only to an eligible patron.
(2) As used in this subsection (g),"child development program" and
"eligible patron" have the same meaning as defined in 32 CFR 79.3.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.