---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education, Curriculum - As enacted, requires students to pass a civics test to receive a full diploma upon graduation from high school; revises and enacts other provisions relating to civics test. - Amends TCA Title 49."
description: "Education, Curriculum - As enacted, requires students to pass a civics test to receive a full diploma upon graduation from high school; revises and enacts other provisions relating to civics test. - Amends TCA Title 49."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "111"
identifier: "SB 1243"
citation: "Tennessee SB 1243 (111)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Education", "Curriculum"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Gresham", "Weaver"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 46
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2019-02-06"
last_action: "2019-05-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e4caa773-f8cb-4cb6-b8af-9a790be74341"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB1243&GA=111"
source_hash: "a14cb48e8e67f5f46573c8e1528079f5577b8ebb26faa632c1a23b000a94d279"
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 1243 (111) — Education, Curriculum - As enacted, requires students to pass a civics test to receive a full diploma upon graduation from high school; revises and enacts other provisions relating to civics test. - Amends TCA Title 49.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0379** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA0379.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0388** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0388.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Bill/SB1243.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/22/2019 Passed — **68–28** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: MESSAGE CALENDAR CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT # 1 5/1/2019 Passed (1) — **77–6** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee 4/17/2019 (5) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 4/17/2019 Passed (2) — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee 4/10/2019 (6) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/22/2019 4/18/2019 (3) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/30/2019 Passed (1) — **30–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CURRICULUM, TESTING, & INNOVATION SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education 4/2/2019 Passed — **4–3** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/17/2019 (4) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/22/2019 Passed (2) — **77–15** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Gresham — primary (person)
- Weaver — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2019-02-06** Intro. `introduction`
- **2019-02-06** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-02-07** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2019-02-07** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-02-07** P1C.
- **2019-02-11** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
- **2019-02-11** P2C, ref. to Education `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-13** Assigned to s/c Curriculum, Testing, & Innovation Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-20** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/27/2019
- **2019-03-27** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 4/3/2019
- **2019-03-27** Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 4/3/2019
- **2019-03-27** Placed on s/c cal Curriculum, Testing, & Innovation Subcommittee for 4/2/2019
- **2019-04-02** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-03** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 4/10/2019
- **2019-04-03** Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 4/10/2019
- **2019-04-03** Placed on cal. Education for 4/10/2019
- **2019-04-10** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 4/17/2019
- **2019-04-10** Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 4/17/2019
- **2019-04-10** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-17** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2019-04-17** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/18/2019
- **2019-04-17** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-17** Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/17/2019
- **2019-04-17** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-17** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2019
- **2019-04-17** Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-18** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/22/2019
- **2019-04-22** Passed H., as am., Ayes 77, Nays 15, PNV 3 `passage`
- **2019-04-22** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0379) `amendment-passage`
- **2019-04-23** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
- **2019-04-24** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2019-04-25** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/30/2019
- **2019-04-30** Companion House Bill substituted
- **2019-04-30** H. Placed on Message Calendar
- **2019-04-30** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 30, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2019-04-30** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0388)
- **2019-04-30** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
- **2019-05-01** H. concurred in S. am. no. 1 Ayes 77, Nays 6 PNV 0 HB1016
- **2019-05-06** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
- **2019-05-08** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2019-05-13** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2019-05-15** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2019-05-22** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2019-05-29** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 442
- **2019-05-29** Pub. Ch. 442
- **2019-05-29** Effective date(s) 07/01/2019

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e4caa773-f8cb-4cb6-b8af-9a790be74341`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).