Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee HB1733: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37; Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 3; Title 40; Title 49 and Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 7, relative to harassment.
Status: Chaptered, May 27, 2026
Fiscal Summary LOCAL GOVERNMENTEXPENDITURESMandatoryFY26-27 & Subsequent Years$3,000 Article II, Section 24 of the Tennessee Constitution provides that: no law of general application shall impose increased expenditure requirements on cities or counties unless the General Assembly shall provide that the state share in the cost. Bill Summary Present law provides that a person commits an offense who intentionally engages in bullying, which is an act committed by a student that substantially interferes with another student's educational benefits, opportunities, or performance, and includes either of the following, depending on location of the action: If the act takes place on school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-provided equipment or transportation, or at any official school bus stop, the act has the effect of (i) physically harming the other student or damaging the other student's property; or (ii) knowingly placing the other student or students in reasonable fear of physical harm to the other student or damage to the student's property. If the act takes place off school property or outside of a school-sponsored activity, the act is directed specifically at another student or students and has the effect of creating a substantial disruption to the education environment or learning process. For acts committed on or after July 1, 2026, this bill changes the description of bullying as described above to, instead, include such acts committed by a school employee. As used in this bill, a "school employee" means an employee of a private school, an LEA, a public charter school, or other public school. Additionally, this bill clarifies that if the act is committed by a school employee, then the victim of bullying is a student. If the act is committed by a student, then the victim is another student. POLI
What the bill says
From the amended text:
Amendment No. 2 to HB1733 Johnson Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 1774 House Bill No. 1733* by adding the following sections immediately preceding the effective date section and renumbering the effective date section accordingly: SECTION __. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 26, is amended by adding the following as a new section: Each participating school shall adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyber-bullying. A participating school's policy must meet the same requirements of a school district's policy required in § 49-6-4503. SECTION __. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 35, is amended by adding the following as a new section: Each private school that enrolls recipients shall adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyber-bullying. A private school's policy must meet the same requirements of a school district's policy required in § 49-6-4503. SECTION __. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14, is amended by adding the following as a new section: Each participating school shall adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyber-bullying. A participating school's policy must meet the same requirements of a school district's policy required in § 49-6-4503. HA1217