Education, Dept. of

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on how effectiveness will be measured.

School Mental Health Transparency Act

This bill requires Tennessee's Department of Education to compile and maintain an online list of mental health resources for students, which must be reviewed by each public school and provided to parents or guardians at least once a year starting in the 2026-2027 school year.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the Department of Education to compile, maintain, and publish on its website a list of mental health resources available to students in Tennessee, including geographic location and any limitations based on residence.
• Directs the Department of Education to consult with other state agencies when creating this list.
• Requires public schools to review the department's list and create their own lists of local mental health resources for enrolled students.
• Requires public schools to provide these lists to parents or guardians at least once a year, starting in 2026-2027. Schools may distribute the lists electronically or through existing communication methods.
• Public schools must publish the list on their website.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Department of Education
• Public schools and their students
• Parents and guardians of school-aged children

Terms To Know

Mental health resources

Services, programs, or organizations that help people with mental health issues.

Endorsement

Official approval or support for something.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not require new staffing, programs, or additional funding.
• It is unclear how the effectiveness of this act will be measured.

Official Summary Text

While u
tilizing existing staff, programs, and resources,
this bill requires
the department of education
to
compile, maintain, and publish on its website a list of mental health resources that are available to students in this state, delineated, if applicable to a specific mental health resource, by
t
he geographic location where the mental health resource is provided and
a
ny limitation on the availability of the mental health resources that is based on residence.

In compiling and maintaining the list
, this bill requires
the department
of education

to
consult with the department of children's services
, t
he department of health
, t
he department of mental health and substance abuse services
, t
he department of human services
, t
he bureau of TennCare
, t
he Tennessee governor's children's cabinet
,
and
a
ny additional agency, organization, or person having information relevant to the list, as determined by the department of education.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

This bill requires each
public school
to
review the list of mental health resources that is
so
maintained and compile and maintain a list of mental health resources that are available to students who are enrolled in the school.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year,
this bill requires each public school to
provide, at least once each school year, the list to the parent or guardian of every student enrolled in the school, or to the student in the case of a student who is 18

or older.
However, a
public school may satisfy
such
requirement

by distributing the list to parents, guardians, and students by electronic means or existing school communication platforms
. Each public school must also publish
the list on the school's websi
te.

NO ENDORSEMENT
–
NO ADDITIONAL STAFF, PROGRAMS, OR EXPENDITURES

This bill clarifies that the
inclusion of a mental health resource on a list that is
so
compiled, maintained, or distributed is not an endorsement of that mental health resource by the state, the department of education, or a public school.
Further, this bill
does not mandate new staffing, programs, or expenditures.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 2003
By Powell

SENATE BILL 2301
By Oliver
SB2301
011990
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10,
Chapter 7; Title 33 and Title 49, relative to mental
health resource awareness.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "School Mental Health
Transparency Act."
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 3, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Utilizing existing staff, programs, and resources, the department of education
shall compile, maintain, and publish on its website a list of mental health resources that
are available to students in this state, delineated, if applicable to a specific mental health
resource, by:
(1) The geographic location where the mental health resource is
provided; and
(2) Any limitation on the availability of the mental health resources that is
based on residence.
(b) In compiling and maintaining the list required by subsection (a), the
department shall consult with the following:
(1) The department of children's services;
(2) The department of health;
(3) The department of mental health and substance abuse services;
(4) The department of human services;
(5) The bureau of TennCare;

- 2 - 011990

(6) The Tennessee governor's children's cabinet; and
(7) Any additional agency, organization, or person having information
relevant to the list, as determined by the department of education.
(c) Each public school shall review the list of mental health resources that is
maintained pursuant to subsection (a) and compile and maintain a list of mental health
resources that are available to students who are enrolled in the school.
(d) Each public school shall:
(1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, provide, at least once
each school year, the list required by subsection (c) to the parent or guardian of
every student enrolled in the school, or to the student in the case of a student
who is eighteen (18) years of age or older. A public school may satisfy the
requirements of this subdivision (d)(1) by distributing the list required by
subsection (c) to parents, guardians, and students by electronic means or
existing school communication platforms; and
(2) Publish the list required by subsection (c) on the school's website.
(e) The inclusion of a mental health resource on a list that is compiled,
maintained, or distributed pursuant to this section is not an endorsement of that mental
health resource by the state, the department of education, or a public school.
(f) This section does not mandate new staffing, programs, or expenditures.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.