SB2310 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

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

Education Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Hensley, Reneau
Last action: 2026-04-10
Official status: Transmitted to Governor for action.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included a broader set of exceptions than what is explicitly stated in the official summary and digest.

Digital Device Use in Elementary Schools

This bill restricts the use of digital devices for students and teachers in grades K-5 at local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools, with specific exceptions.

What This Bill Does

Requires LEAs and public charter schools serving K-5 students to prohibit those students from accessing digital devices at school.
Prohibits teachers and other employees of these institutions from using a digital device to provide instruction or administer electronic assessments to K-5 students.

Who It Names or Affects

Local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools serving grades K-5
Students in grades K-5 at these institutions

Terms To Know

Digital device: Electronic hardware used for instructional purposes that can access, process, store, or transmit data.
LEA: Local Education Agency

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how LEAs and public charter schools will implement these restrictions.
It is unclear what the financial impact of this legislation will be on local education agencies.

Amendments

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

HA0824

Amendment 1-0 to HB2393

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated that requires local education agencies and public charter schools serving kindergarten through fifth grade students to adopt policies limiting the use of digital devices for instructional purposes.

Defines 'digital device', 'parent', and 'social media'.
Requires LEAs and public charter schools to create policies minimizing unnecessary screen time while ensuring effective instruction.
Limits the use of digital devices issued by schools to only those uses that provide clear educational benefits for K-5 students.
Prohibits K-5 students from accessing social media through school-provided internet services during instructional hours.

The amendment does not specify how LEAs and public charter schools will ensure compliance with the new policies.

HA0930

Amendment 2-0 to HB2393

Plain English: The amendment changes who is responsible for certain education-related duties by adding private schools and other types of educational institutions to the list.

Replaces 'Each LEA and public charter school' with a broader list that includes private schools, participating schools, and LEAs in subsection (b) of Section 1.
Updates subdivisions (c)(2) and (3) of Section 1 by replacing 'LEA or public charter school' with the same expanded list including private schools, participating schools, and LEAs.

The exact duties that these institutions will now be responsible for are not detailed in this amendment text.
It's unclear how this change will affect existing responsibilities of LEAs and public charter schools.

SA0607

Amendment 1-0 to SB2310

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that requires local education agencies and public charter schools serving kindergarten through fifth grade students to adopt policies limiting the use of digital devices for instructional purposes.

Defines 'digital device', 'parent', and 'social media' in relation to educational settings.
Requires LEAs and public charter schools to create policies that prioritize non-electronic materials and limit screen time for K-5 students.
Prohibits K-5 students from accessing social media through school-provided internet during the instructional day.

The amendment does not specify how LEAs will ensure compliance with these policies or provide enforcement mechanisms.

Bill History

2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 87, Nays 6, PNV 0
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Failed to adopt am. (Amenmdment 2 - HA0930), Ayes 23, Nays 71, PNV 0
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0824)
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0607)
2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/17/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/17/2026
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 1
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/3/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee to Next Available Calendar
2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/17/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Education Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires each LEA and public charter school that serves students in any of the grades K-5 to prohibit all of the following:



Students in those grades from accessing digital devices at school.


Teachers and other employees of the LEA or public charter school from using a digital device to provide instruction to students in those grades.


Teachers and other employees of the LEA or public charter school from administering an assessment to students in those grades in an electronic format.

However, this bill does not apply to public virtual schools or the administration of a universal screener adopted by the state board of education, the Tennessee universal screener, a dyslexia screening, a state-adopted benchmark assessment, or any other
assessment required by the state. Further, this bill does not supersede an LEA's or public charter school's obligation to comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal Rehabilitation Act, or the federal Americans with D
is
abilities Act.

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2310, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 r
ewrites this bill to require e
ach LEA and public charter school serving students in any of the grades K
–
5
to
adopt a policy governing the age-appropriate and instructional use of digital devices by students to minimize unnecessary screen time while preserving instructional effectiveness.
The full text of this amendment lists five components that must be included in such policies.

This
amendment specifies that this bill
does not prohibit the use of digital devices for:

(1) Targeted instructional support, intervention, or remediation;

(2) Accommodations or services required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or the Americans with Disabilities Act;

(3) Administration of a universal screener adopted by the state board of education, a Tennessee universal screener, dyslexia screenings, state-adopted benchmark assessments, or other assessments required by state or federal law;

(4) Teacher preparation, lesson planning, or professional use;

(5) Public virtual schools;

(6) Homebound instruction;

(7) Remote instructional; or

(8) Hybrid learning days.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 2393
By Reneau

SENATE BILL 2310
By Hensley
SB2310
012695
- 1 -

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

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 3, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Digital device" means electronic hardware used for instructional
purposes that can access, process, store, or transmit data;
(2) "Parent" means a parent or legal guardian of a student; and
(3) "Social media" means a form of interactive electronic communication
through an internet website or application by which a user creates a service-
specific identifying user profile to connect with other users of the internet website
or application for purposes of communicating and sharing information, ideas,
news, stories, opinions, images, videos, and other content.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), each LEA and public charter school
that serves students in any of the grades kindergarten through five (K-5) shall prohibit:
(1) Students in any of the grades kindergarten through five (K-5) from
accessing digital devices at school;
(2) Teachers and other employees of the LEA or public charter school
from using a digital device to provide instruction to students in any of the grades
kindergarten through five (K-5); and

- 2 - 012695

(3) Teachers and other employees of the LEA or public charter school
from administering an assessment to students in any of the grades kindergarten
through five (K-5) in an electronic format.
(c) This section does not:
(1) Apply to public virtual schools;
(2) Supersede an LEA's or public charter school's obligation to comply
with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.),
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794), or the Americans with
Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.); or
(3) Apply to the administration of a universal screener adopted by the
state board of education, the Tennessee universal screener, a dyslexia
screening, a state-adopted benchmark assessment, or any other assessment
required by the state.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.