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HB 369

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, clarifies that a school employee does not commit the criminal offense of falsifying educational and academic documents for altering, creating, or duplicating the grade of a student in an educational or academic document if the alteration, creation, or duplication is due to the student obtaining the grade through a program that allows students to retake a failed course, exam, or assignment and earn credit. - Amends TCA Section 39-14-136 and Title 49.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Clay Doggett

Tennessee bill exempts school employees from criminal charges for altering student grades through official grade recovery or retake programs.

Comp. became Pub. Ch. 632
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Bill Summary · HB 369

Legislative bill overview

HB 369 amends Tennessee criminal law to create a legal exemption protecting school employees from falsifying educational records charges when they alter student grades as part of an official grade recovery or retake program. The bill clarifies that updating grades through legitimate academic remediation programs is not criminal document falsification.

Why is this important

Grade recovery and retake programs are increasingly common in schools to help struggling students improve academic performance, but employees implementing these programs could theoretically face criminal liability under existing falsification statutes. This bill removes legal ambiguity that could discourage schools from operating these programs or create prosecutorial confusion about whether grade changes are legitimate academic practices or crimes.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition scope: The bill's language "due to the student obtaining the grade through a program" may be vague—what constitutes an official "program" versus informal grade changes, and who determines this distinction?
  • Fraud prevention concerns: Critics may worry the exemption could enable abuse if school officials circumvent it by claiming informal grade changes were part of a "program" without proper documentation or oversight
  • Missing safeguards: The bill doesn't specify required documentation, approval procedures, or transparency measures that should accompany legitimate grade modifications to prevent misuse

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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