---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education, Higher - As enacted, authorizes the executive director of the student assistance corporation to temporarily suspend, modify, or waive deadlines or other non-academic eligibility requirements for student financial aid programs, if the governor has declared a state of emergency. - Amends TCA Title 49."
description: "Education, Higher - As enacted, authorizes the executive director of the student assistance corporation to temporarily suspend, modify, or waive deadlines or other non-academic eligibility requirements for student financial aid programs, if the governor has declared a state of emergency. - Amends TCA Title 49."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "111"
identifier: "SB 1973"
citation: "Tennessee SB 1973 (111)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Education", "Higher"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Gresham", "White"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 36
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-01-29"
last_action: "2020-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7db05d21-5dc0-442b-a46a-5bbb737a5279"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB1973&GA=111"
source_hash: "6e5b7491ee16b473b617b58a90874f6b140ca224c2c2684bc7849bcd73c4161e"
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 SB 1973 (111) — Education, Higher - As enacted, authorizes the executive director of the student assistance corporation to temporarily suspend, modify, or waive deadlines or other non-academic eligibility requirements for student financial aid programs, if the governor has declared a state of emergency. - Amends TCA Title 49.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0678** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA0678.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0655** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0655.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Bill/SB1973.pdf)

## Votes

- SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0 3/18/2020 Passed — **8–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/18/2020 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/19/2020 3/18/2020 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/19/2020 Passed (1) — **90–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 3/19/2020 Passed (1) — **30–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE HIGHER EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee 3/18/2020 — **0–0** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- Gresham — primary (person)
- White — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-01-29** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2020-01-30** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2020-02-03** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
- **2020-02-04** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2020-02-05** Intro. `introduction`
- **2020-02-06** P1C.
- **2020-02-10** P2C, ref. to Education `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-11** Assigned to s/c Higher Education Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2020-03-04** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/11/2020
- **2020-03-11** Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-03-16** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/18/2020
- **2020-03-16** Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in S. Education Comm. 3/18/20
- **2020-03-17** Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 3/18/2020
- **2020-03-18** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/19/2020
- **2020-03-18** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2020-03-18** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/19/2020
- **2020-03-18** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/18/2020
- **2020-03-18** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-03-18** Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/18/2020
- **2020-03-18** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-03-19** Companion House Bill substituted
- **2020-03-19** Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2020-03-19** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2020-03-19** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0655)
- **2020-03-19** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
- **2020-03-19** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
- **2020-03-19** Passed H., as am., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2020-03-19** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0678) `amendment-passage`
- **2020-03-20** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2020-03-20** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
- **2020-03-24** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2020-03-24** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2020-03-25** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2020-04-06** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 632
- **2020-04-06** Pub. Ch. 632
- **2020-04-06** Effective date(s) 03/25/2020

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7db05d21-5dc0-442b-a46a-5bbb737a5279`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).