---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to convene a working group to study and develop best practices, strategies, and programming for English language learner (EL) educators in this state to utilize in educating EL students enrolled in a public school in this state in any of the grades K-12. - Amends TCA Title 49."
description: "Education, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to convene a working group to study and develop best practices, strategies, and programming for English language learner (EL) educators in this state to utilize in educating EL students enrolled in a public school in this state in any of the grades K-12. - Amends TCA Title 49."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "114"
identifier: "SB 246"
citation: "Tennessee SB 246 (114)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Dept. of", "Education"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Gardenhire"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 23
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2025-01-22"
last_action: "2025-05-15"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/116f0a68-58de-4940-8a8b-5e884f991495"
source_url: "https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=SB0246&ga=114"
source_hash: "2c4c220a31b91110434d1e45f9a63691de453f83448c3a1d2a1202b64e2d6fd3"
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 246 (114) — Education, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to convene a working group to study and develop best practices, strategies, and programming for English language learner (EL) educators in this state to utilize in educating EL students enrolled in a public school in this state in any of the grades K-12. - Amends TCA Title 49.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0170** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0170.pdf)
2. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0246.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 3/6/2025 Passed (1) — **31–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 1 4/22/2025 Passed — **33–0** (pass) · upper
- SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee 2/26/2025 Passed — **8–1** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2025 Passed — **86–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Gardenhire — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-22** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2025-01-27** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2025-02-10** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-19** Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/26/2025
- **2025-02-26** Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- **2025-03-04** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/6/2025
- **2025-03-06** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2025-03-06** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2025-03-06** Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2025-03-10** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2025-04-21** Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/22/2025
- **2025-04-21** Passed H., as am., Ayes 86, Nays 0, PNV 1 `passage`
- **2025-04-21** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0170) `amendment-passage`
- **2025-04-21** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2025-04-22** Concurred, Ayes 33, Nays 0 (Amendment 1 - HA0170) `passage`
- **2025-04-23** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2025-04-28** Enrolled and ready for signatures `enrolled`
- **2025-04-29** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2025-04-30** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2025-05-01** Transmitted to Governor for action. `executive-receipt`
- **2025-05-09** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-15** Effective date(s) 05/09/2025
- **2025-05-15** Pub. Ch. 419

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/116f0a68-58de-4940-8a8b-5e884f991495`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).