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SB2348 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10 and Title 49, relative to librarians.

Education Technology
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Watson, Martin G
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Passed H., Ayes 70, Nays 24, PNV 0
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on the consequences if a school cannot find an endorsed library information specialist or funding mechanisms for the new staffing requirements.

Library Staffing Requirements for High Schools

This bill requires high schools with certain student enrollments to employ library information specialists and sets qualifications for these positions.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the state board of education, working with the department of education, to approve an advanced degree in media and technology as a qualification for becoming a library information specialist.
  • Mandates that high schools with more than 750 but fewer than 1,500 students must have a full-time library information specialist.
  • Requires smaller high schools (fewer than 750 students) to either hire a part-time library information specialist or designate a teacher as the library information coordinator.
  • States that if the school library is open during regular hours and no librarian is present, another staff member must supervise the library.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public high schools serving grades 9-12
  • Library information specialists in Tennessee

Terms To Know

library information specialist
A person who is qualified to manage and provide guidance for school libraries.
endorsement
Official recognition that a person meets the required qualifications for a specific job or role.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a high school cannot find someone with an endorsement as a library information specialist.
  • It is unclear how schools will fund these new staffing requirements.
  • The bill only applies to public schools in Tennessee.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2423

Plain English: The amendment changes the requirement for local education agencies to employ a full-time librarian in schools with between 750 and 1,500 students.

  • Schools with student enrollment ranging from 750 to 1,500 must now hire a full-time library information specialist who has the proper endorsement.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if a school falls outside this range of students or details about the endorsement process for librarians.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2348

Plain English: The amendment changes the requirement for local education agencies to employ a full-time librarian in schools with specific student enrollment numbers.

  • Schools with between 750 and 1,500 students must now hire a full-time library information specialist who has an endorsement as such.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if the school enrollment is outside of the specified range.
  • It's unclear how this change will affect schools that already have different staffing arrangements.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 70, Nays 24, PNV 0

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0819)

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  4. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  6. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  7. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 29, Nays 1

  8. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0811)

  9. 2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  10. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  14. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  15. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recalled from Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee

  16. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/7/2026

  17. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  18. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  19. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  20. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  21. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  22. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/24/2026

  23. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/24/2026

  24. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/18/2026

  25. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/18/2026

  26. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/17/2026

  27. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Committee

  28. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  29. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/11/2026

  30. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/10/2026

  31. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  32. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Approved by Delayed Bills Committee

  33. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  34. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  35. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  36. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  37. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Delayed Bills Committee

  38. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires the state board of education, in consultation with the department of education, to qualify an advanced degree in media and technology as an advanced degree that leads to a library information specialist endorsement.

This bill requires a public school that serves any combination of grades 9-12 with a current student enrollment of more than 750 students but less than 1,500 students, at a minimum, to employ a full-time library information specialist with an endorsement
as a library information specialist. However, such a school with a current student enrollment of fewer than 750 students must employ a part-time library information specialist with an endorsement as a library information specialist, or designate a teach
er
to serve as a library information coordinator. If the library is open during regular school hours and a library information specialist is not present, then a teacher or other staff member must be assigned to supervise students in the library.

ON APRIL 13, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2348, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 r
equires a public school that serves any of the grades 9-12 to employ a full-time library information specialist with an endorsement as a library information specialist if the school has a current

student enrollment between 750 students and
1
,500 students, both inclusive,
instead of
more than 750 students but less than 1,500 students
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2423
By Martin G

SENATE BILL 2348
By Watson
SB2348
012654
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10
and Title 49, relative to librarians.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) The state board of education, in consultation with the department of
education, shall qualify an advanced degree in media and technology as an advanced
degree that leads to a library information specialist endorsement.
(b) A public school that serves any combination of grades nine through twelve
(9-12):
(1) With a current student enrollment of more than seven hundred fifty
(750) students but less than one thousand five hundred (1,500) students must, at
a minimum, employ a full-time library information specialist with an endorsement
as a library information specialist; and
(2) With a current student enrollment of fewer than seven hundred fifty
(750) students must, at a minimum, employ a part-time library information
specialist with an endorsement as a library information specialist, or designate a
teacher to serve as a library information coordinator. If the library is open during
regular school hours and a library information specialist is not present, then a
teacher or other staff member must be assigned to supervise students in the
library.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.