---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education, Higher - As enacted, enacts the \"Tennessee Higher Education Freedom of Expression and Transparency Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7 and Title 49, Chapter 8."
description: "Education, Higher - As enacted, enacts the \"Tennessee Higher Education Freedom of Expression and Transparency Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7 and Title 49, Chapter 8."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "113"
identifier: "SB 817"
citation: "Tennessee SB 817 (113)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Education", "Higher"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hensley"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 25
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2023-01-30"
last_action: "2023-05-03"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4e6b00e8-2b95-43ea-b3ce-ecb9a1d22ed7"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0817&GA=113"
source_hash: "99c074a521ee1a7a219ee9a74cb7d31d22cc24d7f5b0481a7eb46682c97e32ad"
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 817 (113) — Education, Higher - As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee Higher Education Freedom of Expression and Transparency Act." - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7 and Title 49, Chapter 8.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0233** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/HA0233.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0378** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0378.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/SB0817.pdf)

## Votes

- SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0 3/29/2023 Passed (2) — **8–1** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2023 Passed — **68–26** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2023 Passed (1) — **73–25** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/5/2023 Passed (1) — **26–6** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Hensley — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-30** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2023-02-02** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2023-02-06** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee `passage`
- **2023-03-08** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/15/2023
- **2023-03-15** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/22/2023
- **2023-03-15** Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/22/2023
- **2023-03-22** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/29/2023
- **2023-03-22** Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/29/2023
- **2023-03-29** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0
- **2023-04-03** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/5/2023
- **2023-04-05** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-04-05** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 5 `passage`
- **2023-04-05** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0378)
- **2023-04-05** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2023-04-10** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2023-04-13** Passed H., Ayes 73, Nays 25, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2023-04-13** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0233) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2023-04-13** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2023-04-14** Enrolled and ready for signatures `enrolled`
- **2023-04-17** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2023-04-18** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2023-04-19** Transmitted to Governor for action. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-04-28** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-03** Effective date(s) 07/01/2023
- **2023-05-03** Pub. Ch. 268

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4e6b00e8-2b95-43ea-b3ce-ecb9a1d22ed7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).