Committee meetings are still ongoing. SB1944 passed the Senate Education Committee (5 to 1) and looked like it was going to full Senate but it has now been referred to Senate Judiciary. HB2454 was rolled to next week for House Education Administration. TASL has reported that the Statewide School Library Coordinator has been added to the budget and now goes to Finance, Ways, and Means. The Divisive Concept bill has been sent to the Governor – if you want to read about some of the impacts –this article is a good place to start.
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:
Refer to Senate Judiciary Committee (likely to be schedule for 4/6)
Members - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/committees/judiciary.html
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:
Placed on cal. Education Administration for 4/6/2022 at 3:30
Members - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/committees/educationadmin.aspx
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar 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 on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/6/2022
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:
Transmitted to Governor for his action.
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:
Signed by Governor. House moved to substitute and conform to SB2407
Eliminating local gov prohibitions of handgunshttps://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 General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare 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
Public Library Boards
HB 2549 - Sponsored by Representative Justin Lafferty
Current Status:
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee
Textbooks (and supplemental materials) removing LGBTQ Content - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB0800.pdf
Current Status:
Re-ref. Education Instruction
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee
Additional Resources
Thanks,
Andrea