TLRC position
Support
2026 · Education
Require schools to show a state-approved civics video once to middle and once to high school students, with specified content.
HB 2395 / SB 1953
Bill description
Require local school districts and public charter schools to present a state‑board‑approved civics video once to grades 6–8 and 9–12.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 1 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to social studies education.
Bill sponsors
House co-sponsors · 11
Scott Cepicky R, Aron Maberry R, Jody Barrett R, Rush Bricken R, Monty Fritts R, Susan Lynn R, Dennis Powers R, Bryan Terry R, Justin Lafferty R, Mike Sparks R, Gino Bulso R
Senate co-sponsors · 7
Paul Bailey R, Janice Bowling R, Rusty Crowe R, Joey Hensley R, Shane Reeves R, Paul Rose R, Ed Jackson R
TLRC statement
HB2395 requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to approve at least one civics instructional video by July 1, 2027, and then requires every local education agency (LEA) and public charter school in Tennessee to show that approved video at least once to students in grades 6–8 and at least once to students in grades 9–12 as part of the social studies curriculum beginning in the 2027–2028 school year. The bill specifies that the approved video must be historically accurate, “devoid of political advocacy,” include material on the Declaration of Independence (specifically the preamble), and address the religious affiliations and moral beliefs of the Founding Fathers involved with the Articles of Confederation and the Constitutional Convention.
In practice this is a narrow, statewide curriculum mandate: the SBE centrally approves a resource and every public school is required to present it at least once to middle- and high-school students. From a conservative perspective there are two clear virtues — it promotes basic civic literacy and affirms the historical role of religion and moral beliefs in the founding era — but there are also structural concerns about state-directed curriculum content and the precedent of mandating state-approved materials across all LEAs.