Senate Bill 2228, also known as House Bill 2533, proposes several amendments to the Tennessee Code Annotated, focusing on enhancing accountability and oversight within local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools. Key provisions include the stipulation that if a county's education department fails to maintain proper records, the comptroller of the treasury can remove it from the county financial management system. The bill also modifies the definition of "career and technical education" to "college, career, and military readiness," and mandates that LEAs adopt policies for background checks on contract workers and volunteers, prohibiting the hiring of individuals listed on certain registries. Additionally, it ensures that funding for after-school programs supplements existing educational programs rather than replacing them.

The bill further establishes the Office of Energy Efficient Schools (OEES) within the Department of Education, terminating the existing Energy Efficient Schools Council and transferring its responsibilities to the OEES. This new office will oversee energy efficiency initiatives, appoint a Technical Advisory Committee, and manage an Energy Efficient Schools Fund to support these projects. The bill also includes amendments to improve transparency and accountability, such as requiring public access to commission meetings and updating definitions related to LEAs and public charter schools. Overall, the bill aims to strengthen the governance, operational standards, and funding mechanisms of educational programs in Tennessee, with an effective date set for July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 5-21-124, 8-50-814(a)(3)(B), 8-50-814, 8-50-814(g), 49-1-202, 49-11-805, 49-1-207(c)(3), 49-1-207, 49-1-227(a), 49-1-227, 49-1-229, 4-29-248(a), 4-29-248, 49-1-301(e), 49-1-301, 49-1-305(a), 49-1-305, 49-3-106(f)(3), 49-3-106, 49-3-111, 49-5-413(a), 49-5-413, 49-5-413(b), 49-5-413(c), 49-5-413(d), 49-5-413(d)(2), 49-5-413(e), 49-5-413(f), 49-5-413(g), 49-5-413(e)(7), 49-6-1015(c), 49-6-1015, 49-6-1503(c), 49-6-1503, 49-6-2201(a)(2), 49-6-2201, 49-6-2211, 49-6-2201(h), 49-6-2201(k), 49-6-2201(l)(2), 49-6-2201(l)(4), 49-6-2201(l)(6), 49-6-2201(l)(7), 49-6-2202, 49-6-2203(d)(2), 49-6-2203, 49-6-2203(d)(3)(C)(i), 49-6-2203(d)(4), 49-6-2203(h), 49-6-2302(a), 49-6-2302, 49-6-2302(b), 49-6-3004(a)(6)(A), 49-6-3004, 49-6-3004(c)(1)(A), 49-6-3004(f), 49-6-3404, 49-6-4204(a)(2), 49-6-4204, 49-6-4205(a)(2), 49-6-4205, 49-6-4212(a)(1), 49-6-4212, 49-6-4212(a), 49-6-8103(b), 49-6-8103, 49-10-105(e), 49-10-105, 49-10-1402(3), 49-10-1402, 49-10-1403(b), 49-10-1403, 49-11-106, 49-13-105, 49-15-102(4), 49-15-102, 49-15-109(b), 49-15-109, 49-16-211(b), 49-16-211, 49-16-213, 68-204-110, 49-2-203(a)(3)(G)(vi), 49-2-203, 49-50-1001(d), 49-50-1001, 49-50-1602(f)(3), 49-50-1602, 49-50-1602(g)(5), 49-50-1803(b), 49-50-1803, 49-50-1803(e)
Amended with HA0876 -- 04/21/2026: 5-21-124, 8-50-814(a)(3)(B), 8-50-814, 8-50-814(g), 49-1-202, 49-11-805, 49-1-207(c)(3), 49-1-207, 49-1-227(a), 49-1-227, 49-1-229, 4-29-248(a), 4-29-248, 49-1-301(e), 49-1-301, 49-1-305(a), 49-1-305, 49-3-106(f)(3), 49-3-106, 49-3-111, 49-5-413(a), 49-5-413, 49-5-413(b), 49-5-413(c), 49-5-413(d), 49-5-413(d)(2), 49-5-413(e), 49-5-413(f), 49-5-413(g), 49-5-413(e)(7), 49-6-1015(c), 49-6-1015, 49-6-1503(c), 49-6-1503, 49-6-2201(a)(2), 49-6-2201, 49-6-2211, 49-6-2201(h), 49-6-2201(k), 49-6-2201(l)(2), 49-6-2201(l)(4), 49-6-2201(l)(6), 49-6-2201(l)(7), 49-6-2202, 49-6-2203(d)(2), 49-6-2203, 49-6-2203(d)(3)(C)(i), 49-6-2203(d)(4), 49-6-2203(h), 49-6-2302(a), 49-6-2302, 49-6-2302(b), 49-6-3004(a)(6)(A), 49-6-3004, 49-6-3004(c)(1)(A), 49-6-3004(f), 49-6-3404, 49-6-4204(a)(2), 49-6-4204, 49-6-4205(a)(2), 49-6-4205, 49-6-4212(a)(1), 49-6-4212, 49-6-4212(a), 49-6-8103(b), 49-6-8103, 49-10-105(e), 49-10-105, 49-10-1402(3), 49-10-1402, 49-10-1403(b), 49-10-1403, 49-11-106, 49-13-105, 49-15-102(4), 49-15-102, 49-15-109(b), 49-15-109, 49-16-211(b), 49-16-211, 49-16-213, 68-204-110, 49-2-203(a)(3)(G)(vi), 49-2-203, 49-50-1001(d), 49-50-1001, 49-50-1602(f)(3), 49-50-1602, 49-50-1602(g)(5), 49-50-1803(b), 49-50-1803, 49-50-1803(e), 49-6-3004(i)