---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education - As enacted, requires, prior to the administration of corporal punishment against a student, the student's teacher or school principal to make certain documentation in the student's educational record; prohibits corporal punishment against a student found to have a disability unless authorized in accordance with law. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6."
description: "Education - As enacted, requires, prior to the administration of corporal punishment against a student, the student's teacher or school principal to make certain documentation in the student's educational record; prohibits corporal punishment against a student found to have a disability unless authorized in accordance with law. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "113"
identifier: "SB 972"
citation: "Tennessee SB 972 (113)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Education"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Powers"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 25
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2023-02-02"
last_action: "2023-05-03"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f3a27ddf-3a70-4a07-af24-1a79e97f7a32"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0972&GA=113"
source_hash: "b8c01252c9e919c839914d41868d05785f42801ffda602537639a724bbdc2984"
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 972 (113) — Education - As enacted, requires, prior to the administration of corporal punishment against a student, the student's teacher or school principal to make certain documentation in the student's educational record; prohibits corporal punishment against a student found to have a disability unless authorized in accordance with law. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0378** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/HA0378.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0373** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0373.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/SB0972.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2023 Passed (1) — **90–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/12/2023 Passed (1) — **32–0** (pass) · upper
- 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

## Sponsors

- Powers — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-02-02** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2023-02-02** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **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
- **2023-04-10** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/12/2023
- **2023-04-12** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2023-04-12** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-04-12** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2023-04-12** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0373)
- **2023-04-13** Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2023-04-13** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0378) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2023-04-13** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2023-04-13** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **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) 04/28/2023
- **2023-05-03** Pub. Ch. 275

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f3a27ddf-3a70-4a07-af24-1a79e97f7a32`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).