---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education, Higher - As enacted, enacts the \"Campus Free Speech Protection Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 49."
description: "Education, Higher - As enacted, enacts the \"Campus Free Speech Protection Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 49."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "110"
identifier: "HB 538"
citation: "Tennessee HB 538 (110)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Education", "Higher"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Overbey", "Smith"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 43
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2017-02-07"
last_action: "2017-05-19"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e2ca4c64-e0d9-4447-b5cd-79c1535f204b"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0538&GA=110"
source_hash: "e3127097e46222b13ed93e435ffe179901ba2d2c17c81a60794bc939181c8d4e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tn"]
---

# Tennessee HB 538 (110) — Education, Higher - As enacted, enacts the "Campus Free Speech Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/110/Bill/HB0538.pdf)

## Votes

- GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/12/2017 (2) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 5/1/2017 4/27/2017 (1) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION & PLANNING SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Administration & Planning 3/28/2017 (3) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION & PLANNING: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee 4/4/2017 — **0–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Overbey — primary (person)
- Smith — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-02-07** Filed for intro. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-08** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2017-02-08** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-09** P2C, ref. to Education Administration & Planning `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-09** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2017-02-13** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
- **2017-02-14** Assigned to s/c Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2017-03-22** Placed on s/c cal Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee for 3/28/2017
- **2017-03-22** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/29/2017
- **2017-03-28** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Administration & Planning `referral-committee`
- **2017-03-29** Placed on cal. Education Administration & Planning for 4/4/2017
- **2017-03-29** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-03-29** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 4/4/2017
- **2017-03-29** Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 4/5/2017
- **2017-03-30** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-04-04** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-04-04** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 4/5/2017
- **2017-04-04** Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 4/5/2017
- **2017-04-05** Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/12/2017
- **2017-04-05** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2017-04-11** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar calendar for 4/13/2017
- **2017-04-12** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-04-13** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2017-04-13** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-04-13** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 30, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2017-04-13** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0333)
- **2017-04-17** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2017-04-26** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/27/2017
- **2017-04-27** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 5/1/2017
- **2017-04-28** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-05-01** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-05-01** Comp. SB subst.
- **2017-05-01** Passed H., Ayes 85, Nays 7, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2017-05-01** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0281) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2017-05-01** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2017-05-02** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2017-05-02** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2017-05-03** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2017-05-03** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2017-05-09** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2017-05-19** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 336
- **2017-05-19** Pub. Ch. 336
- **2017-05-19** Effective date(s) 05/09/2017; 01/01/2018

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e2ca4c64-e0d9-4447-b5cd-79c1535f204b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).