Today, Governor Bill Lee marked the close of the special legislative session and the successful passage of his full agenda, including the Education Freedom Act, a comprehensive disaster relief package, and robust public safety measures to prepare Tennessee to assist in implementation of the Trump Administration’s illegal immigration policies.
“This week, in partnership with the General Assembly, Tennessee passed meaningful legislation to address three pressing issues that President Trump and Tennesseans overwhelmingly support – the Education Freedom Act, additional disaster relief for East Tennesseans, and measures to halt illegal immigration,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “I thank Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, Speaker Cameron Sexton, Leader Jack Johnson, Leader William Lamberth, and members of the General Assembly for acting swiftly to pass conservative policies that will guarantee opportunity, security, and freedom for the people of our state.”
Education Freedom Act
· SB6001/HB6004: Establishes Education Freedom Scholarships, Tennessee’s first-ever universal school choice program, and further invests in public schools by delivering teacher bonuses to recognize their unwavering commitment to student success, increasing K-12 facilities funding, and ensuring state funding to school districts will never decrease due to disenrollment.
· SB6005/HB6005: Appropriates $145.9 million for Education Freedom Scholarships (the General Assembly previously appropriated $144.2 million in the 2024 legislative session), $198.4 million for teacher bonuses, $77.2 million for K-12 infrastructure directed from existing sports wagering revenue, and $2.7 million for administrative costs.
Gov. Lee and the General Assembly will maintain their commitment to public schools by further investing hundreds of millions of state dollars in the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula and raising starting teacher pay during the regular legislative session.
Hurricane Helene + Disaster Relief
· SB6003/HB6003: Creates two disaster relief funds to support ongoing recovery efforts and allow for proactive preparation for future emergencies:
o Hurricane Helene Interest Payment Fund: $110 millionto establish a new fund that will help local governments manage loan interest for recovery costs by covering interest costs at 5% per year for three years on loans for recovery expenses.
o Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund: $100 millionto create a new program inspired by the HEAL Program that will provide flexible financial resources for future emergencies, including agricultural recovery, unemployment assistance, and business recovery efforts.
· SB6004/HB6002: Allows the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to provide relief by allowing the ability to waive requirements as-needed for claimants seeking unemployment benefits and clarifies Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s (TEMA) statutory authority to assist with disaster recovery on public property at the request of local jurisdictions.
· SB6005/HB6005: Appropriates $110 million to the Hurricane Helene Interest Payment Fund, $100 million to the Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund, $240 million to TEMA to reduce political subdivisions’ cost share obligations of the non-federal portion of disaster recovery costs, and $20 million for the reconstruction of Hampton High School in Carter County, which was significantly damaged in Hurricane Helene.
Public Safety + Illegal Immigration
· SB6002/HB6001: Creates a robust framework to strengthen immigration enforcement across Tennessee by creating a new division within the Department of Safety, supporting local law enforcement participation in federal programs, and revisiting state-issued identification policies:
o Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division (CIEO): Creates a new division within the Department of Safety to ensure efficient resource allocation and effective enforcement of immigration laws. Appointed by the Governor, the Chief Immigration Enforcement Officer (CIEO) will coordinate directly with the Trump Administration on federal immigration policies and implementation.
o Raises standards for obtaining state-issued IDs: Restricts eligibility for state-issued IDs to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and individuals with federal authorization for a specified period, introduces visually distinctive markers on temporary licenses issued to non-citizens, and mandates proof of citizenship for renewal or reinstatement of driver licenses.
o Local accountability: Creates a Class E felony offense for local officials who adopt or maintain sanctuary city policies in violation of state law and empowers the Tennessee Attorney General to initiate removal proceedings for officials convicted of violating anti-sanctuary city provisions.
o Incentivizes local government participation in enforcement of federal immigration policies: Incentivizes local governments to enter into agreements with federal authorities under the 287(g) program to assist with immigration law enforcement, detention, and removal efforts and establishes penalties for officials who fail to comply with enforcement mandates.
o Creates Immigration Enforcement Grant Program: Establishes $5 million grant fund for local governments to assist with training law enforcement officers, operational expenses and purchasing necessary equipment, and other eligible activities to support federal and state immigration policies.