House Bill 138 establishes a new special fund known as the career and technical education curriculum fund within Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49. The fund is intended to receive an annual recurring appropriation of five million dollars from the general fund, which will be exclusively used to provide grants to local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools. These grants are aimed at supporting the acquisition, retention, or expansion of digital career and technical education curricula that include comprehensive courses, lesson plans, media-rich content, and interactive assessments. The Department of Education will oversee the fund and set up application procedures, grant criteria, and reporting requirements to ensure accountability and measure the effectiveness of the funded programs.

Additionally, the bill specifies that any unencumbered or unexpended balance of the fund at the end of a fiscal year will not revert to the general fund but will be carried forward for future use. It is important to note that this act does not appropriate funds; any expenditures must be specifically authorized by the general appropriations act. The provisions of this act are set to take effect on July 1, 2025.