On April 24th, 2026 the 114th Tennessee General Assembly adjourned. Below is a summary of the budget and legislative wins we’re celebrating, and some unfinished business we’ll continue to pursue.
Review our full list of priorities for the 2026 legislative session HERE.
First: The 2026-27 Budget
Governor Bill Lee marked the close of his final legislative session with a $58.3 billion budget . Included were a number of items aligned to our policy blueprint.
Early Care and Learning
- $339 million to strengthen education in Tennessee’s public schools, including further investment in the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula funding, summer learning camps, and raising starting teacher pay to $50,000
Child and Family Health and Mental Health
- $3 million to expand the school-based behavioral health liaison program, giving students across Tennessee schools important resources and mental health support
- $230 million to TennCare to cover increasing costs associated with medical inflation, including higher prescription drug prices and Medicare payments, and increased utilization and services
- $24.2 million to continue a Department of Health Dental Pilot Program to address unmet dental service needs and increase the number of dentists in Tennessee
Legislation enacted from Our “Hotlist“
Legislative wins from our “hotlist” of 30+ bills included the following. Note that some bills are amended versions of their original and as such reflect incremental progress.
Early Learning Settings Birth-to-3rd Grade
Expanding access to affordable, quality child care and early learning programs
- SB 2062 / HB 1979 (Watson / White) Promising Futures Fund Act. Creates a dedicated fund to address child care affordability and supply, and workforce shortages. Funds support three targeted initiatives: free child care for child care workers, employer-supported CareShare Tennessee, and Smart Steps Plus for middle-income families. $10M recurring was dedicated to this fund.
- SB 1921 / HB 2358 (Massey / Hawk) As amended, this bill requires TDHS to provide annual public reports on TANF, CCDF, and Smart Steps. (Originally the bill would have tapped TANF rainy day funds to restore access to the Smart Steps child care assistance program but funding was not included in the final version of the bill.)
- SB2426 / HB2048 (Crowe / McCalmon) Expands Voluntary Pre-K eligibility to include children of LEA employees.
Developing the early educator workforce
- SB 2404 / HB 2426 (White / White) Early Educator Workforce Development Act. Creates a temporary task force to inventory and strengthen alignment of workforce development resources and to identify gaps. Expands apprenticeship pathways by allowing child care and preschool settings as approved clinical practice sites for educator prep programs operating within a registered apprenticeship program.
- SB 2525 / HB 2398 (Hatcher / Stinnett) – Allows high school students ages 16–18 to work in child care centers through approved work-based learning programs.
Removing Regulatory Barriers
- SB1683 / HB1965 (Haile / Farmer) Establishes a narrow civil liability safe harbor for employers and organizations that host licensed child care providers without operating them. Preserves all safety and licensing standards while unlocking underused space to expand child care capacity quickly and responsibly.
- SB 2509 / HB 2413 (Oliver / Love) – Creates the Tennessee Child Care Red Tape Reduction Act to expedite child care permit approvals, eliminate redundant fire safety inspections and streamline rules while protecting child health and safety.
Rightsizing TISA Formula Funding
- SB 2385 / HB 2485 (Hensley / Haston) – As amended, requires the TISA Review Committee to make recomendations for ensuring economically disadvantaged students are accurately identified as qualifying for additional funding in the TISA formula. (Originally, this bill required more accurate identification and funding for economically disadvantaged students).
Health and Development on Track From Birth
- SB2153 / HB2313 (Walley/Hawk) Directs the department to establish and administer a voluntary, evidence-based, home visiting program designed to support early childhood mental health, advance developmental outcomes, and strengthen family stability for children ages birth to five.
- SB 1605 / HB 2083 (Haile / Littleton) – Extends Zero to Three “Safe Baby” Courts to children up to age five, prioritizing those under three.
Supported and Supportive Families
Paid Family Leave
- SB 938 / HB 957 (Rose / Slater) -Grants eligible state employees paid leave upon fostering a minor child.
SNAP and Summer EBT
- SB 2132 / HB 2043 – Led by the administration, a new state rule established SNAP Broad Based Categorical Eligibility, with eligibility for SNAP benefits extended to families with gross monthly income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and a net monthly income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level.
- SB 1911 / HB 1835 (Bailey / Hale) – This bill would have directed TDHS to participate in the federal Summer EBT program to provide summer nutrition benefits to eligible children using available federal funds. The bill itself failed but Summer EBT was reinstated for Summer of 2027 (though one-time only and not for 2026) through an alternative approach.
“Unfinished Business” Priorities
There are some “Unfinished Business” items from our Hotlist that, as noted above, saw progress but didn’t get fully across the finish line. We’ll be working alongside partners to advance these in 2027:
- SB 1921 / HB 2358 (Massey / Hawk) – Clear the waitlist for the Smart Steps child care assistance program.
- SB 2385 / HB 2485 (Hensley / Haston) – Ensure economically disadvantaged students are accurately identified and funded in the TISA formula.
- SB 1911 / HB 1835 (Bailey / Hale) – Fully reinstate the federal Summer EBT program to provide summer nutrition benefits to eligible children.
- SB 740 / HB 1153 (Harshbarger / Lynn) – Provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, with the state reimbursing districts for costs not covered by federal funds.
Thank You and Looking Ahead
Big kudos to the many, many advocates who were Loud Voices for Little Kids this legislative session – showing up for days on the hill, or writing / calling your legislators. Thanks to all of you. Your voices made a difference.
As we look toward January 2027 when a new governor will take office and the new 115th Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes, together we’ll continue to fight for state policies and investments that better ensure all children have the strong foundation they need for a bright future.
