HB 958

ON MARCH 27, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 950, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to create a seven-member federal education deregulation cooperation task force to prepare Tennessee for the potential of deregulation of federal laws, regulations, requirements, and guidance for kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) education. The task force will consist of the following members: (1) The chair of the education committee of the house of representatives; (2) Two members of the house of representatives who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; (3) The chair of the education committee of the senate; (4) Two members of the senate who a re appointed by the speaker of the senate; and (5) One member who is a licensed educator in this state who is appointed by the governor. This amendment requires the chair of the senate education committee to convene the task force for its first meetin g no later than August 1, 2025. The full text of this amendment specifies organizational and procedural requirements for the task force, such as election of officer, officers' duties, and removal of officers. The task force members serve without compens a tion, but may receive reimbursement for travel expenses. This amendment requires the general assembly staff, state board of education, department of education, LEAs, and the office of legislative budget analysis to assist the task force in discharging th e task force's duties in this section as requested by the chair of the task force. This amendment requires the task force to do the following: (1) Identify all federal funding allocated to the department of education and LEAs in this state for the pre vious fiscal year for K-12 education, specifying the federal program from which any such funds are allocated, the uses of the allocations by the department or LEAs, and the amount of the allocations; (2) Identify the federal requirements that the state o r an LEA must comply with in order to receive federal funding; (3) Identify the state and LEA obligations and resources that are necessary in order to receive federal funding; (4) Identify the number of state and local employment positions funded throu gh federal allocations ; and (5) Consider whether the programs or resources provided using federal funding should be continued at the state level if the federal funding is eliminated. This amendment requires the task force to compile and submit a report of the task force's findings and make recommendations on how this state should proceed if significant changes in K-12 education are made at the federal level to the general assembly by December 31, 2025. The task force will cease to exist upon the task force's submission of the report. ON APRIL 22, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 950 FOR HOUSE BILL 958, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 950, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 i ncorporates the provisions of Senate Amendment #1 with the following changes: (1) Substitutes the standing committee of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over subject matters pertaining to K-12 education for a reference to the house ed u cation committee; (2) Removes the requirement that the task f orce elect a secretary; (3) Clarifies that members of the task force who are legislators serve without compensation, except for the mileage and per diem allowance that is provided by the general assembly; and (4) Specifies that the task force is requir ed to deliver its report to the speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the chief clerk of each house of the general assembly, and the legislative librarian.