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Germantown board legislative liaison summarizes 2025 session bills affecting schools
Summary
Board member Curry, the district's legislative liaison, reviewed several Tennessee bills that passed in the recent session, including legislation on teen social media instruction, limits on demographic-based employment policies, and changes to parental-consent exceptions for minors.
Board member Curry, the Germantown Municipal School District's legislative liaison, delivered a report on state legislative activity during the April 24, 2025, board meeting, summarizing bills that the district identified as relevant to K-12 education.
Curry said the first regular session of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly adjourned earlier in the week and highlighted several enacted measures and pending items of interest to the district. He identified the Teen Social Media and Internet Safety Act (House Bill 825 / Senate Bill 811), which requires the Tennessee Department of Education to develop social media and internet-safety curricula and publish instructional materials for grades 6'12; the bill will require local education agencies and public charter schools that enroll those grades to use the curricula beginning in the 2026'27 school year.
Curry also summarized House Bill 622 / Senate Bill 1083, described in his remarks as the "dismantle DEI act," which he said restricts using race, ethnicity or other demographic characteristics as a factor in public-employment decisions, and noted that any conflicting State Board of Education policy would be void.
He described enactment of House Bill 826 / Senate Bill 895, which amends the Family Rights and Responsibilities Act to add exceptions to parental consent in certain limited circumstances including providing nonemergency first aid and screenings when trafficking or abuse is suspected. Curry said the legislature also consolidated licensure exceptions for educators in House Bill 1323 / Senate Bill 1311.
Curry told the board that early childhood special education legislation the district supported did not receive funding in the budget and was effectively placed behind the budget. He described creation of a legislatively mandated advisory committee on innovations in K'12 education, with appointments required by July 1, 2025, and a first meeting by Aug. 1, 2025; the committee will study teacher and principal evaluation processes, assessment scope and frequency, high-school graduation-course flexibility for CTE pathways, licensure and compensation structures.
Curry closed his report by warning of the influence of SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education) and urging local representatives to represent district interests in committee appointments. His report was presented as informational; no board action was taken on the legislative update during the meeting.
