House Bill 1789, also known as Senate Bill 2094, amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to higher education. The bill modifies Section 49-7-168(b) by replacing the reference to "49-8-104" with "49-8-102, 49-8-104." It introduces a new subsection (d) to Section 49-7-168, which mandates that institutions of higher education classify the spouses of U.S. service members as in-state students for tuition purposes, even if they have not resided in Tennessee for the required one-year period, provided they meet certain criteria such as being a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, being accepted and enrolled in the institution, residing in the state while enrolled, and maintaining continuous enrollment.

Additionally, the bill revises the definition of "military-affiliated" in Section 49-7-1303 by replacing the existing subdivision (1) with a broader definition that includes active-duty personnel, reservists, National Guard members, ROTC cadets, and dependents of active-duty military personnel or veterans. It also changes Section 49-7-1304(b) to require institutions to "shall classify" rather than "may classify" military-affiliated students. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and will apply to the 2026-2027 academic year and subsequent years.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-7-168(b), 49-7-168, 49-7-1303, 49-7-1304(b), 49-7-1304