# Tennessee SB 0937: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9, Chapter 8; Title 29, Chapter 20 and Title 49, relative to freedom of speech. Tennessee SB 0937, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9, Chapter 8; Title 29, Chapter 20 and Title 49, relative to freedom of speech., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2025-05-15 (Effective date(s) 05/09/2025) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0937-2025-2026 - 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 0937 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9, Chapter 8; Title 29, Chapter 20 and Title 49, relative to freedom of speech. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-05 - Last action: 2025-05-15, Effective date(s) 05/09/2025 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 5 - Subjects: Education - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 8 (220 yes, 314 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - School speech complaints can lead to damages: benefit, low. People affected by covered school name, pronoun, disclosure, or consent violations can file a written complaint with the appropriate director. Parents or guardians can act for minors who are not legally emancipated. Complaints must be filed within 10 days of the alleged violation. The director must… - Parents control certain student name changes: mixed, low. Tennessee public school and local education agency staff and contractors must get written parent or guardian consent before knowingly using certain student references. This applies to enrolled minors who are not legally emancipated. Consent is required for a name outside the student's legal name or… - Public college name and pronoun protections: mixed, low. At Tennessee public colleges, students, faculty, employees, and contractors can refuse certain preferred names or pronouns without punishment. This covers names outside a person's legal name or a form of it, and pronouns inconsistent with that person's sex. Covered people and colleges have protecti… - Public school name and pronoun protections: mixed, low. In Tennessee public schools and local education agencies, students, teachers, employees, and contractors can refuse certain preferred names or pronouns. They cannot be punished for refusing names outside a person's legal name or a form of it, or pronouns inconsistent with that person's sex. Covered… - State workers gain name and pronoun protections: mixed, low. During Tennessee state work or contracts, employees and contractors can refuse certain preferred names or pronouns without adverse action. This covers names outside a person's legal name or a form of it, and pronouns inconsistent with that person's sex. Covered workers, contractors, and the state h… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: Janice Bowling (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Joey Hensley (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Ed Jackson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mark Pody (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Bo Watson (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 | 27 | 6 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025 | pass | 77 | 18 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO CONSIDER AMENDMENT # 5 BY JONES J AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025 | fail | 20 | 73 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO CONSIDER AMENDMENT # 4 BY PEARSON AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025 | fail | 21 | 72 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO CONSIDER AMENDMENT # 2 BY PEARSON AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025 | fail | 20 | 70 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO CONSIDER AMENDMENT # 3 BY PEARSON AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025 | fail | 22 | 69 | | | 2025-04-03 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/3/2025 | pass | 25 | 5 | | | 2025-03-26 | Senate | SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE | pass | 8 | 1 | | ## Actions (26) - 2025-05-15: Effective date(s) 05/09/2025 - 2025-05-15: Pub. Ch. 453 - 2025-05-09: Signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Transmitted to Governor for action. (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Signed by H. Speaker (House) - 2025-04-29: Signed by Senate Speaker (Senate) - 2025-04-23: Enrolled and ready for signatures (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Concurred, Ayes 27, Nays 6 (Amendment 1 - HA0259) (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/21/2025 (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Passed H., as am., Ayes 77, Nays 18, PNV 0 (House) - 2025-04-16: H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0259) (House) - 2025-04-16: Subst. for comp. HB. (House) - 2025-04-07: Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk. (House) - 2025-04-03: Engrossed; ready for transmission to House (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 25, Nays 5 (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0275) (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/3/2025 (Senate) - 2025-03-26: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0 (Senate) - 2025-03-19: Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/26/2025 (Senate) - 2025-03-19: Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/26/2025 (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/19/2025 (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Introduced, Passed on First Consideration (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Filed for introduction (Senate) ## Bill text - HA0259, 2025-04-16: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0259.pdf) - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0453.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB0937.pdf) - HA0482: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0482.pdf) - HA0485: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0485.pdf) - HA0486: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0486.pdf) - HA0487: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0487.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0937.pdf) - SA0275: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0275.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0855: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12; Title 13; Title 29; Title 54; Title 64; Title 65; Title 68 and… (signed) - 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 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 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) ## Sources - [HA0259 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0259.pdf) - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0453.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB0937.pdf) - [HA0482 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0482.pdf) - [HA0485 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0485.pdf) - [HA0486 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0486.pdf) - [HA0487 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0487.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0937.pdf) - [SA0275 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0275.pdf) ## Related - [SB 0855: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; T…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0855-2025-2026) - [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 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 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) - [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-SB0937-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).