AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to education.
Summary
SB 821 creates a three-year pilot grant program administered by the Tennessee Department of Education to support substance abuse and violence prevention programs in local education agencies (LEAs). Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year and ending July 1, 2029, the department must award grants to three LEAs that already have such programs in place and that apply on a department-created form. The bill defines a qualifying program as one that builds student resilience, involves families and communities, addresses risk and protective factors for youth substance use and violence, is age-appropriate, aligns with coordinated school health guidelines, and includes drug-prevention education and refusal-skills training throughout the school year.
Impact
The bill adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 10, establishing a state-run pilot grant program for school-based prevention instruction. It requires participating LEAs to provide instruction to students in grades 3-12 on avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs, and to submit annual effectiveness reports to multiple state agencies and legislative committees. The grants are capped at $13,300 per LEA, and the program is temporary, expiring in 2029 unless later extended or made permanent.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and moved through the process with little opposition. It received unanimous or near-unanimous committee approval, passed the Senate floor overwhelmingly, and was ultimately enacted. The voting record suggests general agreement with the goal of strengthening school-based prevention efforts and supporting existing local programs.
Contention
There is little evidence of major controversy in the available record. The main policy questions appear to be administrative rather than ideological: which three LEAs will receive grants, how the department will evaluate applications, and whether the reporting requirements and program design are sufficient to measure effectiveness. The only recorded floor opposition was a single no vote on final passage, but no transcript or committee discussion is available to show the specific objection.