Title 49, Education

This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Campus Free Speech Protection Act.”

The requirements of this part shall apply to every public institution of higher education in this state.

(a) The general assembly finds and declares that public institutions of higher education in Tennessee are not immune from the sweep of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or the Constitution of Tennessee, Article I, § 19, which guarantees freedom of speech and e…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context requires otherwise:(1) “Constitutional time, place, and manner restrictions” means restrictions on the time, place, and manner of free speech that do not violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or the Constitution…

(a) The governing body of every institution shall adopt a policy that affirms the following principles of free speech, which are the public policy of this state:(1) Students have a fundamental constitutional right to free speech;(2) An institution shall be committed to giving stu…

(a) With respect to disciplining students for their speech, expression, or assemblies, an institution shall adopt a policy on “student-on-student harassment” defining the term consistent with and no more expansively than the language contained in subsection (b). (b) As used in th…

Nothing in this part shall require an institution to fund costs associated with student speech or expression. An institution shall not impose costs on students or student organizations on the basis of the anticipated reaction or opposition to a person's speech by listeners.

(1) Nothing contained in this part shall be construed as prohibiting an institution from imposing measures that do not violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or the Constitution of Tennessee, Article I, § 19 such as:(1) Constitutional time, place, and manne…

(a) The general assembly finds that:(1) Students, faculty, employees, and contractors of public institutions of higher education do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression while at work or while receiving an education on a campus of the institutio…

(a) This part is known and may be cited as the “Higher Education Purchasing Act.” (b) The general assembly finds and declares that:(1) The public institutions of higher education in this state are permitted to purchase goods and services through statewide procurement contracts th…

(1) As used in this part:(1) “Eligible private institution of higher education” means a private, nonprofit college or university that:(A) Is accredited by a federally recognized accrediting body;(B) Is located in this state; and(C) Is authorized to operate in this state by the Te…

(a) An eligible private institution of higher education is permitted to purchase goods and services through state cooperative purchasing contracts on the same terms and pricing available to public institutions of higher education. (b) Participation in a state cooperative purchase…

(a) Access granted pursuant to this part must not:(1) Reduce the availability of any goods or services available to public institutions of higher education;(2) Increase the price of goods or services paid by the state; or(3) Create any state liability. (1) Reduce the availability…

(a) The department of general services, in coordination with the Tennessee higher education commission, shall establish a simple enrollment and verification process to allow eligible private institutions of higher education to participate in state cooperative purchasing contracts…

(a) A vendor shall not:(1) Refuse to sell or provide goods or services to an eligible private institution of higher education that elects to participate in this part; or(2) Terminate or alter its pricing in retaliation for an eligible private institution of higher education elect…

(a) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, state public colleges and universities are permitted to establish and operate clinical and dispensary programs in speech pathology, speech therapy and audiology for the purpose of educating students and generating financial suppo…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Athlete agent” has the same meaning as defined in § 49-7-2102;(2) “Athletic association” means a corporation, association, or any other group organized or with authority to set common rules, bylaws, standards, p…

(a) An intercollegiate athlete may perform diligence and receive compensation related to the use of the intercollegiate athlete's name, image, or likeness, the intercollegiate athlete's enrollment at an institution, roster position with its athletics program, or any other categor…

(a) An institution's athletic association shall not:(1) Interfere with, prohibit, restrict, or otherwise adversely affect an intercollegiate athlete's ability to earn compensation, seek representation, perform diligence, or otherwise participate in an activity described in § 49-7…

(a) Notwithstanding §§ 49-7-2802 and 49-7-2803, a private institution of higher education and an athletic association of which the private institution is a member may, upon mutual agreement between the institution and the athletic association, opt out of the requirements of § 49-…

It is the intent and purpose of this part to promote and enhance the role of historically black colleges and universities located in this state as prime contributors to the economic growth of the state by encouraging the institutions to continue their efforts to organize a consor…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Commission” means the Tennessee higher education commission;(2) “Commissioner” means the commissioner of economic and community development;(3) “Department” means the department of economic and community develop…

In addition to the educational programs already provided for and funded by the state, financial support may also be provided for the organization, operation and continuation of the Tennessee HBCU consortium. Funding for the consortium shall be in an amount appropriated by the gen…

(a) The commission is authorized and directed to provide all necessary and appropriate guidance, assistance and support to facilitate strategy development and coordinated implementation by the consortium and the partnership to accomplish their respective and mutual key objectives…

This part shall not be construed to be an appropriation of funds and no funds shall be obligated or expended pursuant to this part unless the funds are specifically appropriated by the general appropriations act.

(a) The trustees of the University of Tennessee shall require risk-based internal financial audits for the offices of the university president and the chancellors of the campuses comprising the system; provided, that at least thirty percent (30%) of such offices shall be audited …

A flight log shall be maintained for each state-owned airplane used by officers or employees of the University of Tennessee system or its institutions or the state university and community college system, including its universities, for travel related to a system or institution. …

Public institutions of higher education shall not purchase alcoholic beverages, beer, or wine with funds derived from state taxes, tuition, or student fees that are appropriated or reappropriated by the general assembly.

(a) (1) The commission, acting through its duly appointed representative, is authorized to enter into an agreement on behalf of the state and the public higher education institutions of the state with representatives of other member states of the southern regional education board…

(a) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “School or college of optometry” means an accredited institution offering courses leading to the degree of doctor of optometry, acting through its governing body; and(2) “Tennessee student” means any student w…

(a) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Additional Tennessee students” means an annual increase in the number of entering Tennessee students over the average number of entering Tennessee students for the immediate past ten (10) years;(2) “Medical c…

(1) As used in this part:(1) “Capital outlay funds” means any non-committed funds remaining from the moneys appropriated to institutions of higher education and directed to be transferred to the capital projects fund pursuant to chapter 1130, § 1 of the Public Acts of 2022;(2) “C…

Subject to appropriation, an institution of higher education may request to redirect the institution's capital outlay funds for purposes other than those set out in chapter 1130, § 1 of the Public Acts of 2022. An institution shall submit a request to redirect capital outlay fund…

(a) Upon receipt of a request to redirect capital outlay funds submitted under § 49-7-3102, the comptroller and the commissioner shall, in consultation with the institution and higher education commission staff, enter into a memorandum of understanding with the institution to:(1)…

(a) Subject to appropriation, the comptroller and the commissioner shall:(1) Approve or deny the redirection of all or a portion of the capital outlay funds;(2) Monitor and review an institution's progress in meeting the requirements and other provisions established in the memora…

Institutions requesting redirection of capital outlay funds pursuant to this part shall comply with requests for information from the comptroller or the commissioner that are necessary to determine the institution's compliance with the requirements or other provisions established…

The comptroller and the commissioner shall submit joint quarterly reports to the speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the chair of the finance, ways and means committee of the senate, the chair of the committee of the house of representatives having…

This part is known and may be cited as the “Charlie Kirk Act.”

Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, each public institution of higher education shall adopt a policy on freedom of expression that is identical or substantially similar to the Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression issued by the Committee on Freedom of Expressi…

Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, each public institution of higher education shall adopt a policy on the institution's role in political and social action that is identical or substantially similar to the Report on the University's Role in Political and Social Action …

(1) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, a public institution of higher education or a faculty member or agent of the institution shall not:(1) Disinvite a speaker invited by a student organization or faculty member, or require a student organization or faculty member to …

Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, a public institution of higher education or a faculty member or agent of the institution shall not retaliate in any way or discriminate in any manner against a faculty member on account of the viewpoints expressed in the faculty member…

(a) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, a public institution of higher education or a faculty member or agent of the institution shall not discriminate or retaliate against a person on account of the person's:(1) Sincere religious beliefs; or(2) Position concerning abort…

(a) It is the intent and purpose of this section to promote the preparation, education and training of physicians for family practice in this state by encouraging Meharry Medical College to continue its efforts for the development of an expanded family practice residency that inc…

(a) It is the intent and purpose of this section to promote the preparation, education and training of physicians for preventive medicine in this state by encouraging Meharry Medical College to continue its efforts for the development of an expanded preventive medicine residency …

The department of health shall negotiate a contract with Meharry Medical College for study, research and treatment of drepanocytemia, sickle cell anemia, on such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreeable; provided, that this section shall not take effect unless funds are …