Tennessee Senate Bill SB0873

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9; Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13 and Title 49, relative to school safety grants. This act makes appropriations for school safety grants for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025.

Summary

SB0873 is an appropriations bill that provides dedicated funding for school safety grants in Tennessee. It appropriates $20 million in nonrecurring funds to the Department of Education for grants to local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools, with the primary purpose of purchasing walk-through metal detectors and scanners for schools. If a school already has those devices, the grants may instead be used for other school-shooting prevention, reduction, and response measures. The bill also appropriates $4 million in nonrecurring funds for similar grants to non-public schools, using the same general framework as prior school safety grant funding. The measure states legislative intent to continue appropriating funds for the same purpose in fiscal years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028, signaling an expectation of ongoing support for school security investments.

Impact

The bill affects Tennessee’s education funding by creating or continuing targeted appropriations for school safety equipment and related security measures. It directs the Department of Education to administer grants to public school systems, public charter schools, and non-public schools, and it may support the installation of metal detectors, scanners, and other anti-shooting prevention tools. Although the bill references amendments to Titles 9, 39, and 49, its practical effect is primarily fiscal and administrative rather than a broad substantive change to criminal or education law.

Sentiment

The available record does not include committee debate or recorded votes, so there is no direct transcript-based evidence of support or opposition. Based on the bill’s structure and purpose, the measure appears to be framed as a school safety initiative and likely to be viewed favorably by those prioritizing school security and violence prevention. The inclusion of funding for both public and non-public schools suggests an effort to broaden support across different school sectors.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is how school safety funds should be used and which schools should receive them. Some stakeholders may favor spending on physical security measures such as detectors and scanners, while others may prefer investments in counseling, threat assessment, or other prevention strategies if schools already have such equipment. Another possible issue is the allocation of state funds to non-public schools, which can sometimes raise policy concerns about equity, public benefit, and the proper use of appropriations.