Tennessee 114th General Assembly Status: Passed Senate 1 R cosponsors

SB 1838 — AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9, relative to tenure.

Last action — Sponsor(s) Added.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 21, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Moderate chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 28% · moderate confidence
  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

Education, Higher - As introduced, prohibits the board of regents, each state university board of trustees, and the board of trustees for the University of Tennessee from conferring any new tenure status on faculty members on or after July 1, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. Intro., P1C.

  3. P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  4. Assigned to s/c Higher Education Subcommittee

  5. Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  6. Taken off notice for cal in s/c Higher Education Subcommittee of Education Committee

  7. Filed for introduction

  8. Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  9. Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  10. Sponsor(s) Added.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 132 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (132)

132 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Subjects

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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 1838 do?
Education, Higher - As introduced, prohibits the board of regents, each state university board of trustees, and the board of trustees for the University of Tennessee from conferring any new tenure status on faculty members on or after July 1, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.
Who sponsors SB 1838?
SB 1838 is sponsored by Hensley, Joey (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 1838?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 21, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track SB 1838?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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