---
type: "Bill"
title: "Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As enacted, enacts the \"Teacher's Discipline Act,\" which establishes requirements and procedures for teachers to discipline students in the teachers' classrooms, including relocation of a student. - Amends TCA Title 49."
description: "Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As enacted, enacts the \"Teacher's Discipline Act,\" which establishes requirements and procedures for teachers to discipline students in the teachers' classrooms, including relocation of a student. - Amends TCA Title 49."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "112"
identifier: "HB 16"
citation: "Tennessee HB 16 (112)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Principals and School Personnel", "Teachers"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cepicky", "Hensley"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 49
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2020-12-01"
last_action: "2021-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ca0cac5b-7bd1-4a64-80ac-25901bd1e965"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0016&GA=112"
source_hash: "94e7d9cafc3f80816881919eaae7f42fd2fe1a0b972e1675238af0dab1a7027e"
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 HB 16 (112) — Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As enacted, enacts the "Teacher's Discipline Act," which establishes requirements and procedures for teachers to discipline students in the teachers' classrooms, including relocation of a student. - Amends TCA Title 49.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0001** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0001.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0036** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0036.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB0016.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 2/24/2021 (4) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: MESSAGE CALENDAR CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT # 1 3/18/2021 Passed (1) — **87–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/11/2021 Passed (1) — **25–8** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/8/2021 3/4/2021 (3) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- K-12 SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Administration 2/9/2021 (5) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0 3/3/2021 Passed (2) — **8–1** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/8/2021 Passed (2) — **81–15** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Cepicky — primary (person)
- Hensley — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-12-01** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-01-11** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-01-12** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2021-01-13** Ref. to Education Administration `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-13** P2C held on desk.
- **2021-01-14** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-01-19** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-01-27** Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-03** Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 2/9/2021
- **2021-02-03** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-02-08** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-02-09** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Administration `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-02-10** Placed on cal. Education Administration for 2/17/2021
- **2021-02-10** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/17/2021
- **2021-02-10** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
- **2021-02-11** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-02-11** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-02-17** Placed on cal. Education Administration for 2/24/2021
- **2021-02-17** Meeting Canceled
- **2021-02-17** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/24/2021
- **2021-02-24** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-02-24** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/3/2021
- **2021-02-24** Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/3/2021
- **2021-03-03** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/4/2021
- **2021-03-03** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0
- **2021-03-04** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/8/2021
- **2021-03-04** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-08** Passed H., as am., Ayes 81, Nays 15, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2021-03-08** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-08** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0001) `amendment-passage`
- **2021-03-09** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
- **2021-03-09** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/11/2021
- **2021-03-11** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 25, Nays 8 `passage`
- **2021-03-11** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0036)
- **2021-03-11** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
- **2021-03-11** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-03-11** Companion House Bill substituted
- **2021-03-12** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-15** H. Placed on Message Calendar for 3/18/21
- **2021-03-18** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
- **2021-03-18** H. concurred in S. am. no. SA1 Ayes 87, Nays 0 PNV 0 HB0016
- **2021-03-18** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-22** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2021-03-22** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2021-03-23** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2021-03-31** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2021-04-06** Effective date(s) 01/01/2022
- **2021-04-06** Pub. Ch. 77
- **2021-04-06** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 77

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ca0cac5b-7bd1-4a64-80ac-25901bd1e965`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).