Tennessee House Bill HB0291

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/25
• Refer: 2/3/25
• Refer: 3/4/26
• Refer: 3/10/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9, relative to higher education.

Summary

HB0291 requires Tennessee public colleges and universities to incorporate a new civics and American history course into all baccalaureate degree programs. The Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville would be tasked with developing and distributing model materials and curricula for a three-credit course in American government or American history. The course must provide a broad overview of major events and turning points in U.S. history and government and specifically cover the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, at least five Federalist Papers, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, and at least one additional foundational document from the African-American freedom struggle. Beginning with entering freshmen in the 2025-2026 academic year, each student at a public institution of higher education would have to complete the course before earning a bachelor’s degree, unless the student satisfies the requirement through an AP, IB, or dual credit course that includes the same content and a cumulative final exam. The bill directs governing boards to fold the requirement into degree programs without increasing total credit hours and without conflicting with accreditation requirements. It also requires annual compliance reports to legislative committee chairs. The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 49, Chapters 7, 8, and 9, affecting public higher education institutions, governing boards, and students seeking baccalaureate degrees. It creates a statewide curricular mandate and a reporting obligation, while preserving flexibility for institutions to meet the requirement through existing course structures or approved pre-college credit. The measure does not appear to create a new standalone degree requirement beyond the existing credit-hour framework, but it does require institutions to ensure the civics/history content is embedded in all bachelor’s programs. The available voting history suggests generally favorable sentiment in committee, with the House Higher Education Subcommittee recommending passage by a 6-0 vote and the House Education Committee recommending passage by a 17-1 vote, both with amendments and referral onward. That pattern indicates broad support for the bill’s emphasis on civics education, though the amendment language suggests lawmakers were still refining implementation details. No committee transcript was provided, so the record does not show detailed debate or public testimony. The main points of contention likely concern how the requirement will be implemented across diverse degree programs, whether it could affect accreditation or curriculum autonomy, and whether the mandate adds administrative burden for institutions. Another possible issue is the scope and content of the required readings, particularly the balance between traditional founding documents and materials tied to African-American history and freedom struggles. The bill’s supporters appear to favor a standardized civics baseline for all graduates, while any opposition would likely focus on institutional flexibility, academic freedom, and operational costs.

Impact

The bill would add a new statewide general-education-style requirement for all public higher education baccalaureate programs in Tennessee, requiring a three-semester-hour course in American government or American history with specified content. It would also require the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Institute of American Civics to develop model curricula, require institutions to offer the course by the 2025-2026 academic year, allow AP/IB/dual credit substitutions, and mandate annual compliance reporting to legislative leaders. The practical effect is to standardize civics instruction across public universities without increasing total degree credit hours.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have received favorable treatment in committee, with unanimous or near-unanimous votes at the subcommittee and committee levels. The vote margins suggest broad agreement with the goal of strengthening civics and history education in public higher education. The amendments and referrals indicate support accompanied by attention to implementation details rather than outright opposition.

Contention

Likely areas of contention include whether the state should impose a uniform curriculum on all public colleges and universities, how the requirement can be fit into existing degree plans without adding credits, and whether the mandate could create accreditation or administrative issues. There may also be debate over the specific required texts and whether the bill appropriately balances founding-era documents with civil rights and African-American freedom struggle materials. Supporters seem focused on ensuring a common civics foundation for graduates, while critics would likely emphasize institutional autonomy and implementation burden.