SB 2346 Tennessee Senate · 114th Regular Session (2025-2026)

Children - As introduced, prohibits private schools participating in the individualized education account program, education savings account program, or that enroll recipients of an education freedom scholarship from employing an individual that has committed child abuse, severe child abuse, child sexual abuse, or child neglect; requires the department of human services to review, upon the request of certain child care agencies, an employee or potential employee to determine whether the individual has a record of perpetrating the abuse or neglect of children or adults. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 37; Title 49 and Title 71.

SB 2346 prohibits private schools participating in Tennessee's education savings account or individualized education account programs from hiring or retaining employees with documented child abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse records. It requires the Department of Children's Services to review employee backgrounds upon request from eligible child care agencies and disclose findings only after due process rights are exhausted. The bill also mandates that schools cannot hire individuals listed on the state's vulnerable person or sex offender registries, and establishes emergency review procedures for immediate safety threats. This directly affects private schools serving students in these specific education programs and their employees with relevant abuse histories.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 2, 2026 Last action Apr 20, 2026
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
16
Key actions
11
Committee
12
Apr 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/20/2026
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0
upper
Mar 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/18/2026
lower
Mar 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/18/2026
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/11/2026
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/11/2026
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/4/2026
lower
Feb 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Committee
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
upper
Feb 2, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Ferrell Haile
Ferrell Haile
RRepublican
TN
18