Senate Bill 2485 amends Tennessee law to allow local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to install and maintain video camera surveillance systems in special education classrooms. The purpose of this surveillance is to enhance the safety of both teachers and students. However, the bill stipulates that such monitoring can only occur if the majority of parents of students in the classroom provide written consent for their children to be continuously monitored while receiving special education services. The bill also outlines who may view the recorded footage, including parents of featured students and teachers who believe the footage may contain evidence of an assault.

Additionally, the bill requires that any LEA or public charter school that opts to install a surveillance system must adopt a policy regarding the duration for which video footage will be maintained. It emphasizes that funding for these systems should come from available school safety grants and clarifies that the act does not appropriate funds unless specifically allocated by the general appropriations act. The provisions of the bill will take effect upon becoming law for policy development, while the full implementation will begin on July 1, 2026, applying to the 2026-2027 school year and beyond.