Local Education Agencies

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific details on how much funding is expected from school safety grants.

Video Camera Surveillance in Special Education Classrooms

This bill allows local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to install video cameras in special education classrooms with parental consent, for safety reasons.

What This Bill Does

• Allows LEA and public charter schools to install and maintain video camera surveillance systems in special education classrooms to promote teacher and student safety.
• Requires that parents of a majority of students must give written consent before the school can use the cameras.
• Limits viewing of photographs or videos collected by these systems to parents/legal guardians of featured students and teachers who believe they were assaulted, subject to state and federal privacy laws.
• Needs local boards to adopt policies establishing how long video footage should be kept.

Who It Names or Affects

• Local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools in Tennessee
• Parents of students receiving special education services
• Students, teachers, and staff in special education classrooms

Terms To Know

local education agency (LEA)

a school district or other organization that provides public education.

special education classroom

a classroom where most students receive special education services for at least half of their instructional day.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much money will be available from school safety grants.
• It is unclear exactly when and if the required funding will be provided by the state or local governments.

Official Summary Text

For
the 2026-2027 school year
,
and each school year thereafter
, this bill authorizes

e
ach LEA and public charter school
to
install and maintain a video camera surveillance system in each special education classroom operated by the LEA or public charter school to promote and protect teacher and student safety.

If an LEA or public charter school installs a video surveillance system in a special education classroom, then

the LEA or public charter school
must generally
use the video camera surveillance system
to continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff in the special education classroom while special education or related services are being provided to students.
However, an
LEA or public charter school
must
not use a video camera surveillance system to continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff in a special education classroom unless the parents of a majority of the students assigned to receive special education or related services in the classroom c
onsent, in writing, to the parent's student
being continuously monitored using the system while they are receiving special education or related services in the classroom.

This bill authorizes photographs
or video footage collected from a video camera surveillance system installed in a special education classroom by an LEA or public charter school
to
be viewed by
(i) t
he parent or legal guardian of a student who is featured in the photograph or recording
and (ii) a
teacher who is featured in the photograph or recording if the teacher believes that the photograph or recording contains evidence of an assault on the teach
er. However, such persons can only view such photographs
or video footage to
the extent that such viewing complies with state or federal privacy law
.

POLICY

This bill requires the
local board of education or public charter school governing body for an LEA or public charter school that elects to install a video surveillance system in one or more of its special education classrooms
to
adopt a policy to effectuate this
bill
. The policy must establish the duration for which an LEA or public charter school must maintain photographs or video footage collected from a video camera surveillance system installed in a special education classroom.

FUNDING

This bill provides that it is
the intent of the general assembly that funding for the installation of video camera surveillance systems in special education classrooms be funded through any available school safety grants.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 2410
By Raper

SENATE BILL 2485
By Bowling
SB2485
012528
- 1 -

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

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a)
(1) Each LEA and public charter school may install and maintain a video
camera surveillance system in each special education classroom operated by the
LEA or public charter school to promote and protect teacher and student safety.
(2) If an LEA or public charter school installs a video surveillance system
in a special education classroom, then, subject to subsection (b), the LEA or
public charter school shall use the video camera surveillance system to
continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff in the special education
classroom while special education or related services are being provided to
students in the special education classroom.
(b) An LEA or public charter school shall not use a video camera surveillance
system to continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff in a special education
classroom unless the parents of a majority of the students assigned to receive special
education or related services in the special education classroom consent, in writing, to
the parent's student being continuously monitored using the system while they are
receiving special education or related services in the special education classroom.

- 2 - 012528

(c) Photographs or video footage collected from a video camera surveillance
system installed in a special education classroom by an LEA or public charter school
pursuant to this section may be viewed by:
(1) The parent or legal guardian of a student who is featured in the
photograph or recording, but only to the extent that such viewing complies with
the requirements of § 10-7-504, the federal Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g), or any other relevant or applicable state or
federal privacy law; and
(2) A teacher who is featured in the photograph or recording if the
teacher believes that the photograph or recording contains evidence of an
assault on the teacher, but only to the extent such viewing complies with the
requirements of § 10-7-504, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g), or any other relevant or applicable state or federal
privacy law.
(d) The local board of education or public charter school governing body for an
LEA or public charter school that elects to install a video surveillance system in one (1)
or more of its special education classrooms shall adopt a policy to effectuate this
section. The policy must establish the duration for which an LEA or public charter school
must maintain photographs or video footage collected from a video camera surveillance
system installed in a special education classroom.
(e) It is the intent of the general assembly that funding for the installation of
video camera surveillance systems in special education classrooms pursuant to this
section be funded through any available school safety grants.
(f) As used in this section:

- 3 - 012528

(1) "Parent" means the parent, guardian, person who has custody of the
child, or individual who has caregiving authority under § 49-6-3001;
(2) "Special education classroom" means a self-contained classroom or
special education setting in which a majority of the students in regular attendance
are provided special education and related services for at least fifty percent
(50%) of the instructional day; and
(3) "Student" means a student in any of the grades pre-kindergarten
through twelve (pre-K-12) who receives special education and related services.
SECTION 2. This act is not an appropriation of funds, and funds must not be obligated
or expended pursuant to this act unless the funds are specifically appropriated by the general
appropriations act.
SECTION 3. For purposes of developing and adopting policies, this act takes effect
upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect
July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it, and applies to the 2026-2027 school year and each
school year thereafter.