Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee HB1476: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to public institutions of higher education.
Status: Chaptered, May 5, 2026
Fiscal Summary OTHER FISCAL IMPACT Due to the litigation provisions in the proposed legislation, institutions of higher education could incur costs related to defending against lawsuits, including, but not limited to, attorney's fees, witness fees, court costs, and any damages awarded. The extent and timing of any increase in state expenditures cannot be reasonably determined. Bill Summary This bill requires the governing body for each public institution of higher education to: (1) Adopt a statement on freedom of expression that is identical or substantially similar to the University of Chicago's Freedom of Expression Policy and formally incorporate that statement into the institution's bylaws and post that statement on the institution's website; and (2) Adopt a statement on the institution's role in political and social action that is identical or substantially similar to the Report on the University's Role in Political and Social Action (Kalven Report) issued by the University of Chicago in 1967 and formally incorporate the statement into the institution's bylaws and post the statement on the institution's website. This bill prohibits public institutions of higher education and faculty members of such institutions from doing the following: (1) Refusing to invite a speaker because of the viewpoints expressed or espoused by the speaker or canceling an invitation of the speaker to speak at the institution in response to threatened protests or opposition from students or faculty; (2) Prohibiting a student organization from inviting a speaker to campus or restricting a student organization in its choice of invited speakers; (3) Retaliating against a faculty member on account of the viewpoints expressed in the faculty member's scholarly work, or on account of any speech or writing protected by the First
What the bill says
From the amended text:
House Education 1 Amendment No. 1 to HB1476 White Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 1741 House Bill No. 1476* by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7, is amended by adding the following as a new part: 49-7-3201. Short title. This part is known and may be cited as the "Charlie Kirk Act." 49-7-3202. Policy on freedom of expression. Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, each public institution of higher education shall adopt a policy on freedom of expression that is identical or substantially similar to the Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression issued by the Committee on Freedom of Expression at the University of Chicago in 2015, and publish the adopted policy on the institution's website. The policy on freedom of expression must include the following passages from the Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression: "The ideas of different members of the University community will often and quite naturally conflict. But it is not the proper role of the University to attempt to shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive. Although the University greatly values civility, and although all members of the University community share in the responsibility for maintaining a climate …