# Tennessee SB 2141: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43, Chapter 6, Part 5 and Title 49, relative to higher education. Tennessee SB 2141, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43, Chapter 6, Part 5 and Title 49, relative to higher education., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-05-18 (Effective date(s) 05/05/2026, 07/01/2026); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2141-2025-2026 - 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 2141 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43, Chapter 6, Part 5 and Title 49, relative to higher education. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-23 - Last action: 2026-05-18, Effective date(s) 05/05/2026, 07/01/2026 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Education, Higher - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (125 yes, 6 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 11 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - College transfer students get clearer credit paths: benefit, medium. Effective upon enactment, public colleges must build transfer pathways for at least the 50 highest-demand undergraduate majors where feasible. Each pathway has 60 transferable hours: a 41-hour general education block and 19 pre-major or major-counting elective hours. Qualifying non-technical associ… - Colleges receive students' aid payments first: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation pays student assistance awards directly to eligible colleges. Colleges first cover educational expenses owed to them, then give students any remainder, up to the cost of attendance. Payments arrive in roughly equal installments af… - Greenbrier Valley gets black fly control: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the University of Tennessee administers a two-year black fly suppression program. It covers the Greenbrier Valley and areas adjacent to the Pigeon River. The program uses a biological control agent under Department of Agriculture supervision. The university must study its bi… - Approved apprenticeship education gets a regulatory exemption: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, qualifying apprenticeship education is exempt from the specified state postsecondary education rule. The education must serve an apprentice in a registered program approved by Tennessee's Department of Labor and Workforce Development. An associated sponsor or employer must o… - Public gets access to college oversight: benefit, low. Effective upon enactment, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission must stream meetings online and post archived videos publicly. Private meetings are limited to personnel or contract matters, with no action taken in private. The commission must study scholarship and grant results, including stude… - College scholarship recipients face time limits: cost, high. Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee HOPE scholarships end at the first applicable degree or five-year limit. The five years start with initial enrollment at any college. A bachelor's degree ends eligibility unless the student stays continuously enrolled toward an advanced degree; earning that degree… - Foster students face grant time limits: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, the HOPE foster child tuition grant lasts up to six years after eligible college admission. Students must achieve and maintain satisfactory progress. Eligibility ends sooner after an advanced degree. A bachelor's degree also ends eligibility unless the student stays continuo… - Students face aid renewal and honesty rules: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, students must reapply to renew Tennessee student assistance awards. The corporation must verify satisfactory completion of the previous academic year's work, continued Tennessee residency, and continued financial need. It may revoke an award when it has evidence that the stu… - Covered students must stay in their programs: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, students covered by Tennessee Code § 49-4-943 must stay continuously enrolled in their eligible program. Their college defines that program. This separate requirement does not state an exception. - Tennessee student aid has eligibility limits: mixed, high. Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee residents can qualify for need-based student assistance through the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation. Applicants must apply and have a valid FAFSA Student Aid Index within the limit set by the state's higher education executive director. Full-time and part-… - Noncompliant colleges face financial aid suspension: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation sets rules for colleges' participation in state financial aid programs. Its rulemaking follows the state's administrative procedures law. The rules must set criteria for restricting or suspending colleges that fail legal or regula… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: Ferrell Haile (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2026 | pass | 84 | 6 | | | 2026-03-02 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/2/2026 | pass | 32 | 0 | | | 2026-02-25 | Senate | SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE | pass | 9 | 0 | | ## Bill text - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0899.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB2141.pdf) - HA0911: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0911.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB2141.pdf) - SA0544: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0544.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 2177: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 38, relative to compensation of law enforcement officers. (signed) - SB 2166: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 38; Title 39; Title 45; Title 47; Title 49 and Title 67, relative to money transmission. (failed) - SB 2173: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 70, Chapter 9, relative to off-highway vehicles. (signed) - SB 2085: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-24-109, relative to the victims assistance assessment. (signed) - SB 2057: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 35; Title 7, Chapter 82 and Title 68, Chapter 221, relative to sewer systems. (signed) - SB 2017: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 34, Part 6, relative to creditable service for a period of disability. (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0899.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB2141.pdf) - [HA0911 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0911.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB2141.pdf) - [SA0544 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0544.pdf) ## Related - [SB 2177: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 3…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2177-2025-2026) - [SB 2166: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 38; Title 39; Title 45…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2166-2025-2026) - [SB 2173: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 70, Chapter 9, relative to off-…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2173-2025-2026) - [SB 2085: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-24-109, relative to the vi…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2085-2025-2026) - [SB 2057: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 35; Title 7, Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2057-2025-2026) - [SB 2017: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 34, Part 6, relative…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2017-2025-2026) - [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-SB2141-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).