You guessed it! Another busy week. The Divisive Concepts in Higher Education is most likely going to the Governor. The Guns in Libraries and the Parent Bill of Rights were not seconded in their house committees so they are most likely dead. I have been warned by many people that bills are like zombies and can come back from the grave and find their way to the governor’s desk in the last few days of the session. I will continue watching them but everyone can focus on the bills that are still working their way through committee. The Senate did not take up the Textbooks with LGBT bill and sent it to General Subcommittee but at the same time has been sent to the House Education Instruction Committee again, they may not take it up as it has gone to the Senate Subcommittee but TBD.
Obscenity and Pornography in School Online Resources - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB2454.pdf
Obscenity and Pornography - As introduced, redefines "obscene" to include material that has educational value; makes various changes to the internet acceptable use policy LEAs are required to adopt; requires providers of digital and online resources to ensure that users cannot access certain obscene material; requires a local board of education to establish a mechanism for parents, legal guardians, or students to report failures of the technology selected by the LEA to filter, block, or otherwise prevent access to pornography or obscenity through online resources and to submit an annual report to the state board of education regarding same. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17 and Title 49, Chapter 1.
HB 2454 – Sponsored by Reps Weaver , Doggett, Littleton, Lynn, Zachary, Moody, Crawford, Powers, Lafferty, Cepicky, Lamberth, Hulsey, Rudder, Haston, Carringer, Warner, Howell, Rudd, Griffey
SB2292 - Sponsored by Senator Mike Bell
Current Status:
Action def. in Education Administration to 3/30/2022 at 3:30 CT
Members - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/committees/educationadmin.aspx
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
Obscenity and Pornography in School Libraries - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB1944.pdf
Obscenity and Pornography - As introduced, excludes local education agencies, public schools, and employees and private contractors of LEAs or public schools from the exception to certain obscenity offenses if the LEA, public school, employee, or private contractor possesses obscene material that is harmful to minors on public school premises; prohibits an LEA or public school from making obscene materials or materials harmful to minors available to students in the school libraries controlled by the LEA or public school. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 9 and Title 49.
HB1944 - Sponsored by * *Cepicky , Doggett, Ragan, Sexton J, Hurt, Grills, Eldridge, Lafferty, Weaver, Hall, Haston, Carringer, Griffey, Smith, Hulsey, Warner, Casada, Crawford, Ogles, Cochran, Byrd, Reedy, Rudder, Helton, Rudd, Keisling, Sherrell, Littleton, Moody, Lamberth, Howell, Farmer, Hawk, Todd, Faison, Calfee, Powers, Lynn, Gant, Leatherwood, Zachary, Alexander, Garrett, Darby
Current Status:
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/24/2022
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for either
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2022 AT 10:30 AM or WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 AT 1:30 PM
Members - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/committees/education.html
Textbooks (and supplemental materials) removing LGBTQ Content - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB0800.pdf
Textbooks - As introduced, prohibits the state textbook and instructional materials quality commission from recommending or listing, the state board of education from approving for local adoption or from granting a waiver for, and LEAs and public charter schools from adopting or using textbooks and instructional materials or supplemental instructional materials that promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or transgender issues or lifestyles. - Amends TCA Title 49.
Current Status:
Re-ref. Education Instruction most likely on 3/30/22 at 11 AM CT
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee
School Library Coordinator - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB1667.pdf
Education, Dept. of - As introduced, creates a Tennessee state library coordinator position within the department; establishes the duties of the Tennessee state library coordinator. - Amends TCA Title 49.
HB1667 - Sponsored by Representative Sam Whitson
SB1784 - Sponsored by Senator Jon Lundberg
Current Status:
Placed behind the budget
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
Public Library Boards - Link to bill - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB2549.pdf
As introduced, requires the library board to annually publish on the library's website the report the library board currently provides to the county or city legislative body, at its first meeting of each fiscal year, setting forth its capital and operational receipts and expenditures for the preceding fiscal year. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 10; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 49.
This is a caption bill- placeholder bill that will be amended.
HB 2549 - Sponsored by Representative Justin Lafferty
Current Status:
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee
Divisive Concepts in Higher Education - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0651.pdf
As introduced, prohibits a public institution of higher education from taking certain actions with regard to divisive concepts and the ideologies or political viewpoints of students and employees; revises the duties of an institution's employees whose primary duties include diversity; requires each institution to conduct a survey of its students and employees to assess the campus climate with regard to diversity of thought and the respondents' comfort level in speaking freely on campus and to publish the results on the institution's website. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7.
HB 2670- Sponsored by Reps by Sexton C, Gant
SB 2290- Sponsored by Senator Mike Bell
Current Status:
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0651)
Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022
Local Education Agencies - As introduced, enacts the "Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022"; requires each public school to maintain, and post on the school's website, a list of the materials in the school's library collection; requires each local board of education and public charter school governing body to adopt a policy to establish procedures for the development and review of school library collections. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.
HB 2154 - Sponsored by Representatives Lamberth and Gant
SB 2407 - Sponsored by Senator Jack Johnson
Current Status:
Transmitted to Governor for action.
House moved to substitute and conform to SB2407
Eliminating local gov prohibitions of handguns https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB2521.pdf
HB 2521 - Sponsored by Representative Jerry Sexton
SB 2521 - Sponsored by Senator Joey Hensley
Current Status:
Failed for lack of second in: Civil Justice Subcommittee
Assigned to the General Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Parent Bill of Rights Act
HB 2451 - Sponsored by Representative Terri Lynn Weaver
SB 2360 - Sponsored by Senator Janice Bowling
Current Status:
Failed for lack of second in: Health Subcommittee
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee
Additional Resources
Thanks,
Andrea