# Tennessee SB 0536: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to education. Tennessee SB 0536, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to education., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Effective date(s) 05/01/2025) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0536-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Tennessee SB 0536 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to education. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-30 - Last action: 2025-05-13, Effective date(s) 05/01/2025 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 4 - Subjects: Sports - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (151 yes, 9 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 10 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More earning options for Tennessee athletes: benefit, medium. Beginning May 15, 2025, athletes at Tennessee public and private four-year schools can earn name, image, and likeness pay. Schools governed by the board of regents are excluded. Future athletes qualify after starting ninth grade if they may later enroll and participate. Pay can also cover enrollmen… - Sports associations must protect athlete rights: benefit, medium. Beginning May 15, 2025, sports associations cannot block permitted athlete pay, representation, deal reviews, eligibility, or full participation in events. They cannot punish participating schools or foundations, impose unlawful membership conditions, or threaten harm to force repeal of state law.… - Athletes can check school deal authority: benefit, low. Beginning May 15, 2025, athletes can request written proof from anyone claiming to act for a school or affiliated foundation. That third party must provide proof and allow verification with the school or foundation within one week of the request. If the deadline is missed or authority cannot be ver… - Stronger safeguards for athlete representatives: benefit, low. Beginning May 15, 2025, third-party representatives must put athletes' interests first when checking opportunities or securing pay. Athlete agents must meet Tennessee licensing rules; attorneys must be active and in good standing where licensed. Parents, siblings, grandparents, spouses, and legal g… - Private schools can waive athlete protections: cost, low. Beginning May 15, 2025, a private school and its sports association can jointly opt out of specified association requirements. The opt-out covers only those requirements as they apply to that school's enrolled athletes, not the entire law. It cannot change the law's application to the association's… - Athlete contract limits and legal safeguards: mixed, medium. Beginning May 15, 2025, representation agreements cannot outlast an athlete's participation in the school's athletic program. Third-party deals that harm eligibility or block an event must be canceled or fixed before participation. This correction rule excludes deals made under the school-facilitat… - Athlete pay protections and money training: mixed, medium. Beginning May 15, 2025, permitted name, image, and likeness work and pay do not affect athletic eligibility or athletic grants-in-aid. Schools can adjust need-based aid because of this income. They must treat athletes like other students with equivalent financial need. Schools must conduct a worksh… - Schools gain protection from athlete claims: mixed, medium. Beginning May 15, 2025, covered schools and affiliated foundations are protected from claims tied to good-faith athlete compensation decisions. This protection covers related actions and involvement in name, image, and likeness matters. Athletes and third parties cannot hold them liable for covered… - Athlete deal reporting and privacy protections: mixed, low. Beginning May 15, 2025, schools or sports associations can require athletes to disclose third-party pay agreements, terms, and annual reports. Disclosure must respect commercially reasonable contract terms, with reports filed at the required time and in the required manner. Records from related dea… - Limits on athletes' paid promotions: mixed, low. Beginning May 15, 2025, athletes cannot promote gambling, tobacco, THC products or derivatives, alcohol, or adult entertainment. Schools can set reasonable limits on when, where, and how promotions happen to protect teams, operations, facilities, and programs. Schools can also bar promotions that r… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: Todd Gardenhire (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Adam Lowe (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Becky D. Massey (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Ken Yager (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-21 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 1 4/21/2025 | pass | 33 | 0 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025 | pass | 78 | 9 | | | 2025-03-24 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/24/2025 | pass | 32 | 0 | | | 2025-03-19 | Senate | SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE | pass | 8 | 0 | | ## Bill text - HA0234, 2025-04-16: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0234.pdf) - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0300.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/HB0194.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0536.pdf) - SA0174: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0174.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0539: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 13; Title 48; Title 49; Title 67 and Title 68, relative to low-income housing. (signed) - SB 0254: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal law. (signed) - SB 0198: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes. (signed) - HB 2670: AN ACT to amend Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended by Chapter 85 of the Private Acts of 2004; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative t… (signed) - HB 2666: AN ACT to amend Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended by Chapter 85 of the Private Acts of 1987; Chapter 74 of the Private Acts of 1995; Chapter… (signed) - HB 2656: AN ACT to amend Chapter 325 of the Private Acts of 1945; as amended by Chapter 335 of the Private Acts of 1968; Chapter 282 of the Private Acts of 1972; Chapte… (signed) ## Sources - [HA0234 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0234.pdf) - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0300.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/HB0194.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0536.pdf) - [SA0174 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0174.pdf) ## Related - [SB 0539: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 13; Title 48; Title 49…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0539-2025-2026) - [SB 0254: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Titl…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0254-2025-2026) - [SB 0198: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0198-2025-2026) - [HB 2670: AN ACT to amend Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended by Chapter 8…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2670-2025-2026) - [HB 2666: AN ACT to amend Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended by Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2666-2025-2026) - [HB 2656: AN ACT to amend Chapter 325 of the Private Acts of 1945; as amended by Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2656-2025-2026) - [Tennessee bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee/bills) - [Tennessee state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0536-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).