Senate Bill 1608 amends Tennessee Code Annotated to establish a tuition and fee waiver for dependent children of law enforcement officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty. The bill defines key terms, including "dependent child," "law enforcement officer," and "firefighter," and specifies that eligible residents under the age of twenty-three can receive a waiver for tuition, maintenance fees, student activity fees, and registration or matriculation fees at public institutions of higher education. To qualify, the dependent child must provide official certification from the relevant government agency confirming the circumstances of the officer's or firefighter's death.

Additionally, the bill outlines conditions for maintaining eligibility for the waiver, including the requirement that the dependent child must be enrolled as a full-time student before turning twenty-three. Once eligible, the child remains qualified until they earn an undergraduate degree, accumulate 135 semester hours, or attempt 150 semester hours. The bill mandates that public institutions of higher education must post information about the waiver on their websites. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and will apply to the 2026-2027 academic year and subsequent years.