All Roll Calls
Yes: 182 • No: 50
TennesseeSB 1741114th General Assembly (2025-2026)Senate
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to public institutions of higher education.
Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable
Signed by Governor
Education, Higher
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Campus beliefs gain stronger discrimination protections
Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee public colleges, their faculty, and their agents cannot discriminate or retaliate based on specified beliefs. The protection covers sincere religious beliefs and positions on abortion, homosexuality, or transgender behavior. Positions on those subjects are protected whether religious or nonreligious. Colleges also cannot deny student-group recognition or employer access to on-campus student interviews because of these beliefs or positions.
Public college faculty gain speech protections
Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee public colleges, their faculty, and their agents cannot retaliate or discriminate against faculty for protected viewpoints. This covers views expressed in scholarly work and in speech or writing protected by the First Amendment.
Campus speakers protected; disruptive protests limited
Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee public colleges cannot cancel student-group or faculty speaker invitations because of viewpoints or threatened protests. Colleges, faculty, and agents also cannot demand those cancellations, bar invitations, or restrict these inviters' speaker choices. The law defines substantial interference to include intentionally drowning out speakers, blocking views with bodies or objects, and physically blocking entry or attendance. Walkouts count only when they materially and substantially disrupt the event or remarks. Colleges may address these acts within the law's narrow limits on speech restrictions.
Public colleges adopt campus speech rules
Upon enactment, Tennessee public colleges must adopt and post two policies online, despite contrary law. These must match or closely follow the 2015 Chicago freedom-of-expression report and the 1967 Kalven political-action report. They must include the passages required by law. The speech policy protects open debate, including unwelcome ideas; civility cannot justify shutting down discussion. Speech restrictions are limited to unlawful speech, defamation, genuine threats or harassment, major privacy or confidentiality concerns, or interference with normal college operations. Rules about when, where, and how speech occurs may prevent disruption but cannot suppress open discussion. The political-action policy keeps colleges independent from political pressures and leaves faculty and students free to speak as individuals. It recognizes that official positions can silence minority views and cannot be imposed by a campus majority vote.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
There is no primary sponsor on record.
Cosponsors
Paul Bailey
Republican • Senate
Janice Bowling
Republican • Senate
Rusty Crowe
Republican • Senate
Ed Jackson
Republican • Senate
Johnson
Affiliation unavailable
Mark Pody
Republican • Senate
Reeves
Affiliation unavailable
Jessie Seal
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/13/2026
FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2026
Yes: 74 • No: 22
House vote • 4/13/2026
FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2026
Yes: 74 • No: 22
Senate vote • 3/26/2026
FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/26/2026
Yes: 26 • No: 6
Senate vote • 3/18/2026
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Yes: 8 • No: 0
Bill Text
Enrolled / Public Chapter
Fiscal Note
HA1017
Introduced
SA0794
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