Print Page | Report Abuse | Sign In | Register
News & Press: Policy Update

TICUA Policy Update for April 6, 2023

Thursday, April 6, 2023  
Posted by: TICUA

113th General Assembly
Policy Update

April 6, 2023

This week’s policy update contains house actions on bills being followed by TICUA. The following actions on these bills put them in a similar posture with the state senate. Below, you will find a brief description of the proposed legislation and their current status.

Dual Enrollment Bill Passes

SB1408/HB0957 seeks to address the recent changes to the Dual Enrollment Grant. In the previous session, the Tennessee General Assembly increased the amount of the grant to match the tuition charges of the public community colleges but also set the increased grant amount to serve as a cap on the cost of the courses. TICUA drafted this bill requesting the cap be removed for private colleges and universities. Rep. William Slater and Sen. Ed Jackson are sponsoring the measure. This week, the bill passed unanimously out of the House Education Administration Committee and has been sent to the house chamber for consideration. The bill is currently placed on the House Consent Calendar for Monday, April 10. The senate companion bill has already passed in the senate chamber.

Dual Enrollment to Sophomores Passes

Sen. Joey Hensley and Rep. Scott Cepicky are sponsoring a measure (SB842/HB1075) which will expand eligibility for the Dual Enrollment Grant to sophomores in high school. Students must meet the admission requirements of the eligible post-secondary college or university in order to qualify. According to the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, 367 sophomores enrolled in dual enrollment classes in the 2021-2022 academic year. With the expansion of the grant, it is expected that the sophomore enrollment may expand by 14%. The bill passed both the Senate and House Education Committees and will now be considered by the respective Finance Committees.

Tennessee Promise Gap Year Moves Forward

A compromise has been reached on SB364/HB348, which allows for a gap year for students seeking to enroll under the Tennessee Promise Scholarship. The compromise amendment allows for the 16-month delay but with certain requirements and subject to the appeal process. To be eligible for the gap year provision, students must have followed all the necessary Tennessee Promise required benchmarks while in high school, have decided not to enroll upon graduation, and be employed full-time during the delayed enrollment period.

Rep. Jason Lafferty and Sen. Becky Massey are sponsoring the measure. The house version passed in the Education Administration Committee and will now be considered by the Government Operations Committee. The senate version passed the Education Committee and is awaiting action in the Finance Committee.

 

Praxis Payment Bill Passes

SB556/HB784, as introduced, requires the Tennessee Department of Education to establish a fund to reimburse educators in an amount equal to the cost of an assessment required for licensure (Praxis). To qualify, the educator must receive a qualifying score and receive a teaching license or qualify for an additional endorsement while currently employed by a local education agency or public charter school. The bill has passed both the House and Senate Education Committees and will now be considered by the respective Finance Committees. The bill is not funded by the Governor’s budget. Therefore, consideration will be delayed until after the core state budget is passed. It is estimated the measure will cost $2.1 million in recurring funds.

House Education Acts on Teacher

Education Student Aid Bills

SB231/HB276 changes the amount of a minority teaching fellowship award from $5,000 to the cost of tuition and fees at a public university. This improvement will be for minority students enrolled in a degree program leading to licensure as a teacher at a college or university with an approved educator preparation program. The aid at a TICUA member program will be capped at the average cost of tuition and fees at public universities. The proposed change comes from Sen. Jeff Yarbro and Rep. Sam McKenzie. The house bill passed out of the House Administration Committee and will be considered by the Finance Committee. The senate companion bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee awaiting consideration.

SB1220/HB432 proposes a five-year pilot program entitled the “Future Teacher Scholarship Act of 2023.” The scholarship is proposed as a last dollar program to cover tuition and mandatory fees at a public university. To be eligible, students must graduate from high school with at least a 3.0 GPA, obtain a 21 on any single ACT test, be admitted to an approved teacher preparation program, complete the FAFSA, maintain a 2.75 college GPA, and agree to teach in a targeted setting for four years. If the student fails to teach in the targeted setting for a full four years, the student will need to repay the scholarship for each year short of the commitment. The sponsors of the measure are Rep. Mark White and Sen. Dawn White. The bill was passed out of the House Education Administration Committee and has been sent to the Government Operations Committee. The senate bill awaits action in the Finance Committee to discuss the recurring $900,800 fiscal note.

SB1305/HB251 enacts the “Tennessee Special Educator Scholarship Act,” which provides a $1,500 per year scholarship to eligible special education professionals pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Eligible students must have attained junior or senior status at an eligible post-secondary institution and agree to work in a Tennessee public school for at least three years following graduation in the special education field. Rep. Kirk Haston and Sen. Paul Bailey are sponsoring the measure. The house bill was rolled one week and will be considered Wednesday, April 12, in the Education Administration Committee. The senate version is awaiting action in the Finance Committee. 

Voter Registration I.D. Fails

As introduced, SB285/HB303 authorizes the use of a student photo identification card, which is issued by an accredited institution of higher education to be used for purposes of voter identification at a polling place. The bill also instructs the Secretary of State to conduct a study on the usage of student I.D. cards for voter identification. The measure is being sponsored by two new members of the general assembly, Sen. Charlane Oliver and Rep. Justin Jones. The bill failed in the House Elections and Campaign Finance Subcommittee and was subsequently sent to the General Subcommittee in the senate. This removes the bill from consideration during the 113th General Assembly.

« Back to Index