Tennessee Senate Bill SB0705

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/3/25
• Chaptered: 4/28/25
• Passed: 4/28/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50 and Title 49, relative to employees of state special schools.

Summary

This bill revises Tennessee law governing employees of state special schools, which are schools operated and controlled by the Department of Education. It clarifies that the department, subject to the bill’s new requirements, determines the salary and terms of employment for these employees, and it defines “teacher” for this part of the code as a licensed person employed at a state special school, excluding the chief administrative officer and certain employees already treated as state employees for leave purposes. The bill also requires the department to provide state special school teachers with leave benefits comparable to public school teachers, including the ability to accumulate and use leave in the same manner and eligibility for paid family leave. In addition, it requires salary schedules and state-funded raises, bonuses, or other incentives for teachers and other licensed personnel at state special schools to keep pace with equivalent percentage increases or appropriations provided to local education agencies and public charter schools for similar employees. The act applies beginning July 1, 2025, for the 2025-2026 school year and thereafter.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 49 and Title 8 to align compensation and leave benefits for state special school teachers and other licensed personnel more closely with those provided to public school educators. It creates a statutory obligation for the Department of Education to mirror certain salary schedule increases and state-funded salary-related appropriations, and it extends leave and paid family leave eligibility to covered teachers at state special schools. The practical effect is to increase parity between state special school staff and comparable public school employees and to require corresponding budget appropriations.

Sentiment

The available legislative history suggests broad support for the bill. The Senate Education Committee recommended passage with amendments on a 9-0 vote, indicating unanimous committee approval. No committee transcript is provided, but the vote history and final enactment suggest the measure was viewed favorably as a fairness and compensation alignment bill for state special school employees.

Contention

The main policy issue embedded in the bill is fiscal and administrative parity: it requires the state to fund equivalent salary increases, bonuses, and incentives for state special school personnel whenever similar funding is provided to public school teachers and licensed staff. This could raise concerns about budget impact and the scope of the Department of Education’s obligation to match local and charter school compensation actions. Another possible point of distinction is the bill’s exclusion of chief administrative officers and certain employees already covered as state employees for leave purposes, which narrows who receives the new benefits.