Bill > HB2410

This bill allows local education agencies (LEAs), which are public school districts, and public charter schools in Tennessee to install and use video camera surveillance systems in special education classrooms to monitor students, teachers, and staff while special education or related services are being provided, with the primary goal of promoting safety. However, this continuous monitoring can only occur if the parents of a majority of the students in that classroom provide written consent, ensuring parental approval is a prerequisite. The bill also specifies who can view the collected footage, limiting access to parents or legal guardians of students featured in the recordings, and to teachers who believe the footage contains evidence of an assault on them, all while adhering to privacy laws like the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). LEAs and charter schools must adopt policies to manage these systems, including how long video footage will be retained, and the bill suggests that funding for these systems should be sought through available school safety grants. The bill defines "parent" broadly to include guardians and those with caregiving authority, "special education classroom" as a setting where a majority of students receive special education services for at least half the instructional day, and "student" as any student in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade receiving such services. The provisions for developing policies take effect upon becoming law, while the rest of the act, including the implementation of surveillance systems, becomes effective on July 1, 2026, applying to the subsequent school year.

Education

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/Default?BillNumber=HB2410&ga=114