Education committee advances testing, free‑speech and school‑food measures; curriculum and funding bills move forward

The full Education Committee voted on a slate of bills during an expedited session April 2, advancing measures on testing and assessment, free‑speech protections, school nutrition and curriculum changes while sending multiple items to Finance, Government Operations, Calendar & Rules or back to committee.

Committee chair Chairman Haston opened the meeting by warning members, “We’re gonna have to move fast,” and the panel worked through more than 30 items in a single sitting, approving most by voice or recorded vote.

Why it matters: The bills the committee advanced collectively affect how students are assessed, what materials appear in school libraries, what foods school nutrition programs may serve, and what topics may be taught in family‑life or life‑skills courses. Several measures also shift or clarify higher‑education and school safety funding and administrative processes.

What the committee approved and discussed (highlights)

House Bill 675 — testing and end‑of‑course reform: Leader Cochran, sponsor of House Bill 675, said the bill refocuses high‑school end‑of‑course (EOC) testing “on the correct material” and would move accountability toward nationally recognized college‑admissions assessments such as the ACT or SAT and related workforce tests (for example, ACT WorkKeys) for technical pathways. Cochran told the committee that the bill responds to counselor and educator feedback about lack of appropriate alternatives for technical students and the state’s current testing regime. The committee adopted an amendment from subcommittee (amendment 6055) and approved the bill on a 15‑yes, 3‑no recorded vote; the bill moves to Government Operations.

House Bill 12 70 — protections against coerced speech: Leader Cochran also presented House Bill 12 70, described as a prohibition on coerced speech for students, teachers, employees and contractors of public schools and local education agencies (LEAs). Cochran cited federal court decisions including Meriwether v. Trustees of Shawnee State University and Ricard v. USD 475 as legal precedent in support of protections for employees who decline compelled speech. Cochran said, “It doesn’t force anyone to do anything. ... It just says you are not forced to acknowledge that.” The committee approved the measure by recorded vote (14 ayes, 3 nays, 1 present not voting) and sent it to Finance.

House Bill 134 — red food dye in school nutrition programs: Representative Davis introduced a bill directing school nutrition programs to remove certain synthetic red food dyes (commonly sold in the U.S. as Red Dye 40) from school meals. Davis referenced international labeling practices and peer‑reviewed studies and told the committee the Department of Education had reviewed vendor lists and did not oppose the change. Members questioned the strength of the human clinical evidence; Representative Davis cited a 2021 systematic review she had received and letters from researchers. The committee approved the bill on a 14‑yes, 4‑no vote; it moves to Calendar & Rules.

House Bill 178 — “success sequence” curriculum addition to family‑life instruction: Representative Boleso presented legislation to add material sometimes called the “success sequence” to family life curriculum — a set of data‑based steps (education/training, employment, marriage, children) the sponsor said is associated with lower poverty risk. Boleso cited a Department of Health and Human Services analysis and told members the HHS data show a high proportion of people who followed that sequence avoided poverty. The bill drew extended debate from members who said the approach risks shaming students from non‑nuclear families or overemphasizing a single pathway; Boleso and supporters said the proposal is fact‑based instruction about economic outcomes. The bill passed on a recorded vote, 15 ayes and 4 nays, and moves to Calendar & Rules.

Higher‑education and school‑safety items

House Bill 13 44 — Tennessee State University (TSU) funds: Leader Williams presented an amendment that would allow the use of capital funds on TSU’s balance sheet for operational purposes subject to consultation with the comptroller and Finance chairs. Committee members adopted the amendment and passed the measure unanimously (18‑0); it moves to Finance.

House Bill 505 — school safety alert grant (Alyssa’s Law expansion): Representative Gantt said the bill converts a pilot school‑safety alert grant program into a two‑year statewide grant program, creates a separate fund and would appropriate approximately $750,000 for the program. The committee passed the measure 18‑0 and sent it to Government Operations.

Other actions and votes at a glance

- HB 6 (voluntary pre‑K enrollment flexibility) — approved; moves to Calendar & Rules (recorded vote: 17 ayes, 0 nays, 1 present not voting). - HB 47 — rolled to second calendar of 2026 (postponed). - HB 1344/13 44 (TSU) — approved 18‑0; moves to Finance (see above). - HB 764 (school search training amendment) — approved 18‑0; moves to Calendar & Rules. - HB 1175 (childcare/underutilized properties and school‑based childcare) — approved 18‑0; moves to Government Operations. - HB 392 (career/technical threshold for very small high schools; threshold lowered from 30 to 20) — approved; moves to Calendar & Rules (recorded vote: 17 ayes, 0 nays, 1 present not voting). - HB 1147 (benefit for children of fallen first responders attending state colleges) — approved 17‑0; moves to Finance. - HB 698 — taken off notice (no action). - HB 505 (Alyssa’s law expansion) — approved 18‑0; moves to Government Operations (see above). - HB 1281 (release‑time background checks) — approved 17‑0; moves out of Calendar & Rules. - HB 1085 (library material removal prohibition) — approved 17‑0; moves out of Calendar & Rules. - HB 485 (up to 44 hybrid instructional days for extreme weather) — approved 18‑0; moves back to Calendar & Rules. - HB 1113 (expanded participation for hospitals on advisory committee related to student athletes) — approved 18‑0; moves to Finance. - HB 348 (maintenance‑of‑effort clarification) — approved 17‑0, 1 present not voting; moves to Finance.

(Several additional bills were considered, amended, rolled or removed from notice during the meeting; the committee chair said many last‑minute amendments were being filed and consolidated by legal staff.)

What members said: Supporters framed HB 675 as aligning high‑school accountability with measures tied to college and workforce opportunities; Leader Cochran said the bill would “focus on the correct material.” Supporters of the red‑dye bill cited international labeling and peer‑reviewed reviews. Sponsors of the success‑sequence measure said the change would present students with data‑driven information about economic outcomes; opponents called it a messaging bill that could stigmatize students from diverse family situations.

Next steps and context: Most passed bills were referred to Finance, Government Operations, Calendar & Rules, or the Governor’s Office where appropriate. Chairman Haston recessed the committee until 3:30 p.m. for the afternoon session.

Ending: With action on dozens of items completed quickly, committee members signaled that several more substantive or contested bills will receive additional floor time in their afternoon session.