Education remains a big topic for the Tennessee General Assembly even after the close of the special session that expanded school vouchers. More than 150 education bills have been filed and are in the queue for the regular session, now underway.
A few bills relate to vouchers, but most deal with other education topics, from pre-K to higher education. One key topic – alongside funding, Bible classes and library books, for example – is school safety. In 2023 and 2024, 44 state legislatures mulled a total of 353 bills on school safety, the National Conference of State Legislatures reports online. About 15% eventually passed.
Tennessee’s legislature is weighing more than a dozen school safety bills filed in a year that started with a fatal school shooting at Nashville’s Antioch High School.
Any bill with a bearing on safety was counted as a school safety bill for this article. Many bills focused on technologies such as metal detectors, protective films on windows and doors and mobile panic alert systems as ways to enhance safety.
More than half the safety bills counted were sponsored by Republicans, one was bipartisan and the rest were sponsored by Democrats. One Democratic bill, the School Safety and Mental Health Act, would require one licensed school counselor at every public school, including public charter schools. Tennessee has a Republican supermajority in the state Legislature.
Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s state of the state message touched on education topics, including academic excellence, investments made and pay raises for teachers, but didn’t explicitly mention school safety.
Democrats had a different view.
“Under Gov. Bill Lee and Republican control, it’s too easy for dangerous people to get a gun and Tennessee students and families are less safe for it,” Senate Democratic Caucus press secretary Brandon Puttbrese said in response. “Instead of turning our public schools into prisons, this governor and Republican lawmakers should join Democrats in urgently addressing the root causes of crime and passing some common sense gun safety laws.”
School safety bills include these:
The “Protecting Tennessee Schools and Events Act,” a pilot program for grants to cover “the full cost of obtaining, installing and training personnel” to use walk-through metal detectors to enhance security during school hours and at after-school events.
Nashville’s WSMV Channel 4 reported recently there are no metal detectors in any Nashville public schools. Most U.S. schools don’t use them, either, says National School Safety and Security Services, an Ohio consulting firm.
The Tennessee bill authorizes grants to schools, with a maximum of $48,000 for three portable metal detectors. No fiscal note was attached, and the bill was sent to the Senate education committee.
Rep. Rush Bricken, R-Tullahoma, and Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma, sponsored the bill, HB 399 and SB 470.
School Safety Alert Grant Fund – Last year, state lawmakers passed a pilot program of state grants allowing public schools, public charter schools, private schools and church-related schools to buy approved mobile panic alert systems. This bill makes the pilot program a two-year program, running from July 1 of this year through July 1, 2027.
Grants are for a maximum of $8,000 per school and the bill spells out how grants are awarded to each grand division of the state. No fiscal note, grants are subject to appropriation and available funds, and the bill goes to the Senate education committee.
Rep. Ron Gant, R-Piperton, and Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, sponsored the bill, HB 505 and SB 695.
School Safety and Mental Health Act – This bill would require each at least one “full-time licensed professional school counselor” for each public school or public charter school. It would also require the Tennessee School Safety Center, a collaboration between the state Department of Education and the Department of Safety, to administer a school safety infrastructure grant program. No fiscal note, not yet scheduled in committee.
Rep. Shaundelle Brooks, D-Nashville, and Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, sponsored the bill, HB 953 and SB 905.
Entry-resistant film – This bill would require public schools and public charter schools built or remodeled after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2025, to install “a clear entry-resistant film” on glass exterior door panels and basement-level windows. Installing the film would “prevent individuals from entering the school building without authorization” by breaking door or window glass, the bill reads in part.
School buildings built or remodeled after July 1, 2025, must install film or security glazing “that meets a nationally recognized standard for forced entry resistance.” The bill also calls for compliance guidelines and authorizes the state fire marshal to issue rules supporting the bill.
Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, and Sen. Becky Massey, R-Knoxville, sponsored HB964 and SB 899.
Background checks for private schools accepting voucher students: This bill would amend the Education Freedom Act passed in last month’s special legislative session. It would require private schools enrolling EFA scholarship recipients to conduct criminal background checks on teaching or other positions “requiring proximity to school children.” Other checks are specified.
HB 1109/SB 1180 were sponsored by Rep. Gabby Salinas, D-Memphis, and Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis.
Note to readers: To track a bill’s progress through the legislature, go to https://www.capitol.tn.gov/legislation. If you know the bill number, browse bills by index. Otherwise, bills can be browsed by subject.