---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education - As enacted, updates the terms \"general education development credential,\" \"high school equivalency test,\" and variations of the terms to \"high school equivalency credential.\" - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 8; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 40; Title 41; Title 49; Title 50; Title 54; Title 55; Title 62; Title 63 and Title 68."
description: "Education - As enacted, updates the terms \"general education development credential,\" \"high school equivalency test,\" and variations of the terms to \"high school equivalency credential.\" - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 8; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 40; Title 41; Title 49; Title 50; Title 54; Title 55; Title 62; Title 63 and Title 68."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "113"
identifier: "SB 255"
citation: "Tennessee SB 255 (113)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Education"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Johnson"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 24
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2023-01-19"
last_action: "2023-04-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/67162300-98cc-4884-a573-3d2e15da1a0d"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0255&GA=113"
source_hash: "158fd4c7521dc5eea79a798f541eb2f5d2101def5856acd10b9115c88d9a0807"
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 255 (113) — Education - As enacted, updates the terms "general education development credential," "high school equivalency test," and variations of the terms to "high school equivalency credential." - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 8; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 40; Title 41; Title 49; Title 50; Title 54; Title 55; Title 62; Title 63 and Title 68.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0077** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/HA0077.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0029** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0029.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/SB0255.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/16/2023 Passed (1) — **90–0** (pass) · lower
- SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 2/15/2023 Passed — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 2/27/2023 Passed (1) — **31–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 2/27/2023 Passed — **31–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Johnson — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-19** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2023-01-20** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2023-01-21** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee `passage`
- **2023-02-08** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/15/2023
- **2023-02-15** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2023-02-24** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/27/2023
- **2023-02-27** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2023-02-27** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2023-02-27** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0029)
- **2023-02-28** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-03-02** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2023-03-13** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/16/2023
- **2023-03-13** Reset on cal. for 3/16/2023
- **2023-03-13** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0077) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2023-03-13** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2023-03-16** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-03-16** Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2023-03-21** Enrolled and ready for signatures `enrolled`
- **2023-03-22** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2023-03-23** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2023-03-24** Transmitted to Governor for action. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-04-04** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2023-04-18** Effective date(s) 07/01/2023
- **2023-04-18** Pub. Ch. 114

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/67162300-98cc-4884-a573-3d2e15da1a0d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).