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Committee advances bill to require civic‑literacy course for Tennessee public university graduates
Summary
House Bill 2‑91 would require a 3‑credit American government or history course that includes study of foundational texts and a cumulative exam for graduates of Tennessee public institutions; the subcommittee voted 6–0 to advance the bill.
Representative Gant told the subcommittee House Bill 2‑91 aims to halt a perceived decline in civic knowledge by ensuring every graduate from a Tennessee public university completes a three‑credit American government or American history course focused on foundational texts.
"Students earning a degree from a Tennessee public institution should have a working understanding of the following: The Constitution, the Tennessee Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address and doctor Martin Luther King Junior's letters from the Birmingham Jail," Representative Gant said, listing the documents the bill emphasizes. The bill also would require a cumulative final exam and annual compliance reporting to the General Assembly; sponsors said the change would not add credit hours or interfere with accreditation.
Members raised questions about whether the University of Tennessee's Institute of American Civics would develop the curriculum and whether community colleges should be included; the sponsor said the legislation prescribes content but allows institutional flexibility and encouraged inter‑university collaboration. The committee voted 6–0 to send the bill to full education.
