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SB2525 • 2026

Children

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37; Title 49; Title 50, Chapter 5 and Title 71, relative to children.

Children Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Hatcher, Stinnett
Last action
2026-04-15
Official status
Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify how many hours students can work or the exact rules that will be made by the department of health.

High School Students Can Work in Child Care Centers

This bill allows high school students aged 16 to 18 to work in child care centers during or outside of school hours if they have completed at least two courses related to education and training.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows high school students who are 16 years old but younger than 19 to work in child care centers through a work-based learning program.
  • Requires these students to complete at least two courses in the education and training career cluster before they can work in child care centers.

Who It Names or Affects

  • High school students aged 16 to 18 who want to work in child care centers.
  • Child care centers that employ these students.

Terms To Know

work-based learning program
A type of education where high school students learn job skills by working at a real job, like in a child care center.
education and training career cluster
A group of jobs that involve teaching or helping people to learn new things.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how many hours students can work in child care centers.
  • It is unclear what kind of rules the department of health will make about this program.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2398

Plain English: This amendment allows high school students who are at least 16 years old to work in child care centers if they have completed certain education requirements.

  • Allows 16-year-old or older high school students to work in child care centers outside and during school hours through a work-based learning program.
  • Requires that the student has taken at least two courses related to the education and training career cluster.
  • The specific rules for implementing this change will be created by the department, but these rules are not detailed in the amendment text.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2525

Plain English: This amendment allows high school students who are at least 16 years old to work in child care centers during or after school hours if they have completed two courses related to education and training.

  • Allows 16-year-old high school students to work in child care centers outside of school hours or during school hours through a work-based learning program.
  • Requires that the student has taken at least two courses in an education and training program.
  • The exact rules for implementing this change will be determined by the department after the amendment is passed, following specific administrative procedures.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

  2. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0942)

  3. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  4. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  6. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  8. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  11. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/6/2026

  12. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/31/2026

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Health Committee

  15. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  16. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/25/2026

  18. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  20. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  21. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0598)

  22. 2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026

  23. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  24. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  25. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  26. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  27. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/11/2026

  28. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  29. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/4/2026

  30. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/4/2026

  31. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  32. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/25/2026

  33. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/4/2026

  34. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  35. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  36. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  37. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee - Government Operations for Review

  38. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  39. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  40. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  41. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill authorizes a high school student who is older than 15 but younger than 19 to work in a child care center outside of school hours or during school hours through a work-based learning program if the student has completed at least two courses in a
program of study that falls under the education and training career cluster. However, this bill does not permit a high school student to work in a child care center located in an occupied residence of the primary caregiver.

RULEMAKING

This bill authorizes the department of health to promulgate rules to effectuate this bill.

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2525, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 c
larifies that authorization to work in a child care center under this bill applies to students who are 1
6 years of age or older
, instead of
older than 15 years of age but younger than 19 years of age
. This amendment also removes language specifying that this bill does not permit a
high school student to work in a child care center located in an occupied residence of the primary caregive
r.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2398
By Stinnett

SENATE BILL 2525
By Hatcher
SB2525
012747
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37;
Title 49; Title 50, Chapter 5 and Title 71, relative to
children.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Notwithstanding § 50-5-105, a high school student who is older than fifteen
(15) years of age but younger than nineteen (19) years of age may work in a child care
center outside of school hours or during school hours through a work-based learning
program if the student has completed at least two (2) courses in a program of study that
falls under the education and training career cluster.
(b) This section does not permit a high school student to work in a child care
center located in an occupied residence of the primary caregiver.
(c) The department may promulgate rules to effectuate this section. The rules
must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act,
compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.