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PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 328
SENATE BILL NO. 1311
By Johnson, White, Massey
Substituted for: House Bill No. 1323
By Lamberth, Cochran, Tim Hicks, White, Sherrell, Vital, Hurt, Darby, Baum, Littleton, Bricken, Hill,
Carringer, Doggett, Gary Hicks, Eldridge, Haston, Kumar, Boyd, Chism, Cepicky, Glynn, Lynn,
Slater, Davis, Crawford, Renea Jones, Maberry, Todd, Hale, Faison, Howell, Warner, Lafferty,
Hawk, Wright, Gillespie, Butler, Parkinson, Moody, Rudder, Fritts, Williams
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 5 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative
to teacher licensure.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-106, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead the following:
(a) It is the intent of the general assembly to urge LEAs and public charter schools to
make every effort to staff kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) teaching positions with
personnel fully licensed and endorsed for such grades.
(b) After a director of schools or a director of a public charter school notifies the local
board of education or the governing body of the public charter school, as applicable, that the
LEA or public charter school is unable to secure a qualified teacher with a valid license for
the type and kind of school in which a vacancy exists, the director of schools or the director
of the public charter school may certify the same to the commissioner of education. Upon the
commissioner's receipt of the certification, the commissioner may grant to an individual
recommended by the director of schools or the director of the public charter school, as
applicable, on behalf of the state board of education, under conditions prescribed in the state
board's rules, one (1) of the following emergency teaching credentials to teach in the unfilled
position:
(1) A temporary academic permit to an individual who does not hold an active
Tennessee educator license- but who has earned, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree
from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the
Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the United States department of
education;
(2) A temporary clinical permit to an individual who does not hold an active
Tennessee educator license but who:
. .. (A) Is enrolled in a state-board-approved .. ;educator preparation
program (EPP); • • • •• - •• • •
(B) Has ~ompleted all EPP coursework, except for the c.linical practice
required pursuant to § 49-5-5604 and the rules of the state board of
education;
a (C) Has letter of recommendation from the EPP in which the
in..•d.iv·.,..i.q. ··u.:· a-,ljs enrolled; and':
•
:(D): Has· a c~nditional offer of employment, made by the director of
. . sphopls or the director of the public charter school, a~. applicapl~, ,fo,r the
.: .ihdiv(duc;il _to. fill a position for which the LEA. or public charter: school i,s unable
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to secure a qualified teacher with a valid license for the type and kind of
school in which a vacancy exists; or
(3) A license endorsement exemption to an educator who holds a full, valid,
and active Tennessee educator license.
(c) Emergency credentials granted pursuant to subsection {b) are valid only until June
30 following the date on which the credential was issued.
(d) A temporary clinical permit granted pursuant to subdivision (b)(2) is not
renewable.
(e)(1) When determining whether to grant a temporary academic permit pursuant to
subdivision {b)(1) to allow an individual to teach a course for which an end-of-course
examination is required, the commissioner shall consider:
(A) The availability of other faculty or staff who are qualified to teach
the course for which an end-of-course examination is required;
(B) The timing of the vacancy in relation to the school calendar of the
LEA or public charter school, such as whether the vacancy occurs during the
school year or between school years; and
(C) In cases where a vacancy for a course requiring an end-of-course
examination occurs outside the school calendar of the LEA or public charter
school, the LEA's or public charter school's efforts to advertise the vacancy.
(2) An individual who receives a temporary academic permit to teach a course
for which an end-of-course examination is required must be assigned a mentor
teacher by the director of schools or the director of the public charter school, as
applicable.
(f) Notwithstanding subsection (b), the commissioner shall not grant a person, on
behalf of the state board, an emergency teaching credential to teach a special education
course.
(g) An individual who teaches under a temporary clinical permit issued pursuant to
this section satisfies the clinical experience required pursuant to§ 49-5-5604 if:
(1) The individual is assigned to, and receives guidance, evaluations, and
instructions from, an educator for an amount of time that is at least equal to the
amount of time required for candidates of the EPP in which the individual is enrolled
to meet the EPP's clinical experience requirements;
(2) The educator assigned to the individual evaluates the individual as having
adequately met the same requirements that candidates of the EPP in which the
individual is enrolled must meet to satisfy the clinical experience requirements of§
49-5-5604; and
(3) The individual teaches under a temporary clinical permit for an amount of
time that is at least equal to the amount of time required for candidates of the EPP in
which the individual is enrolled to complete the clinical experience requirements of§
49-5-5604.
(h) A local board of education or the governing body of a public charter school may
enter into a one-year contract with a teacher who holds a temporary academic permit
granted pursuant to subdivision (b){1 ), but who does not hold a valid Tennessee educator
license. The local board of education or the governing body of the public charter school may
only renew such a contract if the local board of education or the governing body of the public
charter school is unable to secure a qualified teacher with a valid license for the type and
kind of school in which the vacancy exists.
(i)(1) A director of schools or a director of a public charter school who learns of the
conviction of a teacher who holds a temporary academic permit or a temporary
clinical permit, and who is employed by the director's LEA or public charter school, for
any offense listed in § 49-5-41 ?(a) shall report the conviction to the state board. The
state board shall set the time frame within which a director of schools or a director of
a public charter school must report the conviction of a teacher who holds a temporary
academic permit or a temporary clinical permit. The state board may specify other
offenses for which a director of schools or a director of a public charter school is
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required to report to the state board upon learning of a conviction of a teacher who
holds a temporary academic permit or a temporary clinical permit.
(2) A director of schools or a director of a public charter school shall report to
the state board a teacher who holds a temporary academic permit or a temporary
clinical permit, and who is employed by the director's LEA or public charter school,
who has been suspended or dismissed, or who has resigned following allegations of
misconduct, including sexual misconduct, which, if substantiated, would warrant
consideration for disciplinary action under state board rules. As used in this
subdivision (i)(2), "sexual misconduct" has the same meaning as defined in § 49-5-
417(c)(5).
0)(1) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, and except as provided in
subdivision U)(3), a teacher who holds the teacher's third temporary academic permit
may apply to the department for a limited license to continue teaching the course or
subject area taught pursuant to the teacher's temporary academic permit. The
department shall approve a teacher's application for a limited license to continue
teaching the course or subject area taught pursuant to the teacher's temporary
academic permit if the teacher:
(A) Holds a valid temporary academic permit;
(B) Earned a level of overall effectiveness score of "above
expectations" or "significantly above expectations" on the teacher's most
recent evaluation pursuant to § 49-1-302;
(C) Provides a letter from the director of schools or the director of the
public charter school for the LEA or school at which the teacher taught
pursuant to the teacher's temporary permit recommending that the teacher
receive a limited license with the same endorsement granted to the teacher
pursuant to the teacher's temporary academic permit; and
(D) Agrees, in writing, to begin a pathway approved by the state board
for transitioning educators from a limited license to a practitioner license.
(2) Limited licenses are valid for two (2) school years and are not renewable.
(3) The department shall not issue a limited license to teach a special
education course.
(4) The state board of education shall promulgate rules, in accordance with
the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, to establish:
(A) Any requirements, in addition to the requirements established in
this section, for the issuance of a limited license; and
(B) A pathway for a teacher who holds a limited license to obtain a
practitioner license, including rules to establish:
(i) Minimum requirements for coursework provided by an EPP
or a provider approved by the department of education and the state
board of education that is focused on foundational pedagogical skills,
including foundational literacy skills in accordance with the Tennessee
Literacy Success Act, compiled in chapter 1, part 9 of this title;
(ii) Benchmarks for teachers who hold a limited license to show
that the teacher has met the state board's expectations for adequate
content knowledge in the subject area taught by the teacher;
(iii) Requirements for teachers who hold a limited license to
receive support from a highly-effective clinical mentor; and
(iv) Professional assessment requirements.
(k) The department of education shall report to the education committee of the senate
and the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over teacher licensure
the number of emergency teaching credentials that were requested and granted for
individuals to teach courses for which an end-of-course examination is required for the 2024-
2025 school year, the 2025-2026 school year, and the 2026-2027 school year, respectively,
by July 1, 2027.
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SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-110, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead the following:
(a)(1) To be eligible to receive a limited occupational teaching license, an individual
must:
(A) Have received a conditional offer of employment from the director
of schools or director of the public charter school, as applicable;
(B)(i) Have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience,
completed within the last ten (10) years, or a minimum of three (3)
years of relevant work experience, completed within the last five (5)
years, in the area of endorsement or equivalent educational
attainment; or
(ii) Hold an active industry license or credential, including one
issued by another state, for the area of endorsement, if an industry
license or credential is available;
(C) Agree in writing to complete, during the period for which the initial
limited occupational teaching license is issued, training conducted by the LEA
or public charter school, in accordance with the state board of education's
rules, in the subjects of classroom management, serving students with
disabilities and English language learners, and the teacher code of ethics; and
(D) Be assigned, and work with, a mentor teacher in accordance with
requirements established by the state board of education.
(2) To be eligible for a practitioner occupational teacher license, an individual
must:
(A) Be enrolled in a state-board-approved educator preparation
program with a job-embedded clinical practice; or
(8) Have completed a state-board-approved educator preparation
program.
(b) A limited occupational teaching license issued pursuant to subdivision (a)(1 ):
(1) Is valid for three (3) years; and
(2) May only be renewed if the holder of the license:
(A) Earned a level of overall effectiveness score of "above
expectations" or "significantly above expectations" according to the evaluation
guidelines adopted by the state board of education pursuant to§ 49-1-302 for
each of the first two (2) school years immediately following issuance of the
individual's license;
(8) Has completed the training described in subdivision (a)(1 )(C); and
(C) Meets the requirements for renewal established in the state board
of education's rules.
(c) Enrollment in, or completion of, a state-board-approved educator preparation
program is not required for an individual to rec~ive a limited occupational teaching license.
(d) An educator who holds a limited occupational teaching license or a practitioner
occupational teaching license pursuant to this section must meet all requirements for license
advancement and renewal established in this section and in the state board of education's
rules in order to advance or renew the license.
(e) The state board of education shall promulgate rules, in accordance with the
Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, to establish any
requirements in addition to those provided in this section for the issuance of a limited
occupational teaching license or a practitioner occupational teaching license.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-112(a), is amended by deleting the
second sentence of the subsection and substituting:
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An initial license issued pursuant to this section must bear an endorsement to teach only the
subject area the person taught at the eligible postsecondary institution. After the initial
license is issued, an additional endorsement may be added to the license pursuant to the
state board of education's rules.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-114, is amended by deleting the
section.
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-115, is amended by deleting the
section.
SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 1, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:
49-5-116. Teaching a course with an end-of-course examination.
A teacher with a valid license shall not teach a course for which an end-of-course
examination is required for students to satisfy graduation requirements established by the
state board of education pursuant to § 49-6-6001 (a) if the teacher's license does not carry a
subject specific endorsement for the subject area of the course unless the teacher:
(1) Demonstrates sufficient content knowledge in the course material by taking
and passing, at the teacher's own expense, a standardized or criterion-referenced
test for the content area; or
(2) Possesses a license endorsement exemption pursuant to § 49-5-106.
SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-1021(e), is amended by deleting
subdivision (3) and substituting:
(3) Physical education classes must be taught by an educator who holds a credential
in accordance with chapter 5 of this title and the state board of education's rules.
SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-6006, is amended by deleting the
section.
SECTION 9. The headings in this act are for reference purposes only and do not constitute a
part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is requested to
include the headings in any compilation or publication containing this act.
SECTION 10. For purposes of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming a law,
t_he public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public
welfare requiring it.
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SENATE BILL NO. 1311
PASSED: April 16, 2025
U - l , ~-,..,_JlelUI
' RANDY M~)ALLY
SPEAKER OF THE:NATE
CAMEROR-9EXTON,SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
i APPROVED this 2.w). day of (V\ Cl, 2025
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