Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Tennessee General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
:-(~~i'( A t:
! ~; ~~~:::::; :
Side ef J ettn&Ssee
PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 245
SENATE BILL NO. 376
By Rose, Bowling, Gardenhire, Hensley
Substituted for: House Bill No. 377
By Zachary, Powers, McCalmon, Reedy, Fritts, Capley, Reneau, Cepicky, Lafferty, Bricken
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7, relative to institutions of higher
education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:
49-7-190.
(a) As used in this section, "institution" means a four-year public or private institution of
higher education located in this state.
(b) A person must not be excluded from participating in, denied the benefits of, or
subjected to discrimination by an institution, or any program or activity at an institution, on the
basis of one's race, color, ethnicity, or national origin, including those resulting from affirmative
action practices.
(c) An institution, a program or activity at an institution, or an officer, employee, or agent
of an institution, shall not exclude a person from participating in, deny a person the benefits of,
or subject a person to discrimination at the institution based on the person's race, color,
ethnicity, or national origin, as prohibited by this section.
(d) An institution shall not consider an applicant's race, color, ethnicity, or national origin
in determining whether the applicant qualifies for admission to the institution, or for
scholarships or financial aid offered at the institution. Institutions shall not use aggregated data
to develop admissions or student population quotas based on race, color, ethnicity, or national
origin, or use any such data in making admissions decisions. An institution is not prohibited
from awarding different scholarships to students, or the same scholarship to students in
different amounts, so long as the scholarship awarded or the scholarship amount awarded is
not solely based on the student's race, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
(e) Each institution shall provide notice of this section and of any relevant policies
adopted by the institution in response to this section to all:
(1) Employees of the institution's central admissions or financial aid offices prior
to the start of the 2025-2026 academic year; and
(2) Employees of the institution's central admissions or financial aid offices upon
their employment, if the 'employee is hired on or after the start of the 2025-2026
academic year.
(f) An individual who believes that a violation of this section has occurred may seek
injunctive and declaratory relief in a court of competent jurisdiction, pursuant to§ 1-3-121.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a I.aw, the public welfare requiring it.
SENATE BILL NO. 376
PASSED: April 10, 2025
n .\_~Ne.:\~
' RANDY Mel
SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
t:::::.
CAMERON-s-EXTON,SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
/Jrpr:; dlfl:l- APPROVED this I 2025
day of
w.
BILL LEE, GOVERNOREvery fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.