Summary of SB 2301 (Session 114) — Tennessee
Proposed bill: Senate Bill 2301 (co-sponsored by Charlane Oliver)
House Bill: HB 2003
Title: School Mental Health Transparency Act
Purpose and intent
- Establishes a system for increasing visibility and access to mental health resources for students.
- Creates a statewide, publicly accessible list of mental health resources and requires each public school to maintain a school-specific list drawn from the statewide resource list.
- Aims to promote awareness of available mental health supports without mandating new staffing or expenditures.
Key provisions
1) Statewide mental health resources list
- The Tennessee Department of Education (DOE) must compile, maintain, and publish on its website a list of mental health resources available to students in the state.
- For each resource, the list should indicate:
- Geographic location where the resource is provided.
- Any limitations on availability based on residence, if applicable.
- The DOE must consult with:
- Department of Children's Services
- Department of Health
- Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
- Department of Human Services
- Tennessee Health Care Corporation (Bureau of TennCare)
- Governor’s Children’s Cabinet
- Any additional relevant agencies, organizations, or individuals as determined by the DOE.
2) School-specific resource lists
- Each public school must review the statewide list (subsection a) and compile its own list of mental health resources available to its enrolled students.
- The school-specific list must be maintained by the school.
3) Distribution and publication requirements (starting 2026-2027)
- Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, each public school must:
- Provide the school-specific mental health resources list to every student’s parent/guardian at least once per school year, or to the student (if 18 or older).
- A public school may satisfy this by distributing the list electronically or via existing school communication platforms.
- Publish the school-specific list on the school's website.
4) Non-endorsement language
- Inclusion of a resource on any list (statewide or school-specific) does not constitute an endorsement by the state, the DOE, or the public school.
5) Fiscal impact and staffing
- The bill does not mandate new staffing, programs, or expenditures.
- Fiscal notes indicate a NOT SIGNIFICANT impact, with the assumption that:
- DOE will utilize existing staff and website infrastructure to compile and maintain the statewide list.
- Interagency consultations can be managed through routine coordination with existing personnel.
- Schools will adapt and publish the statewide list using existing staff and platforms.
Effective date
- Takes effect upon becoming law.
Procedural context
- Related action history shows introduction and progression through the Senate Education Committee as of early March 2026.
- The bill is labeled as “Education, Dept. – As introduced, enacts the 'School Mental Health Transparency Act'.”
Who is affected
State level:
- Tennessee Department of Education (DOE): responsible for creating, maintaining, and publishing the statewide mental health resources list.
- Several state agencies (Children’s Services, Health, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Human Services, TennCare) tasked with contributing information.
Local level:
- Public schools: must review the statewide list, create their own lists of resources available to enrolled students, and disseminate these lists to parents/guardians and students (where applicable); must publish the lists on school websites.
- Parents/guardians and students: recipients of the annual (or more frequent) school-specific resource lists.
Notes and considerations
- The act clarifies that listing a resource does not imply endorsement by the state, DOE, or school.
- The bill emphasizes transparency and accessibility without imposing new fiscal burdens, based on the fiscal note.
- The framework relies on interagency cooperation and existing school communications infrastructure.
Overall impact interpretation
- The bill would improve awareness of mental health resources for students and families.
- It creates a structured, transparent process for resource sharing while preserving school discretion and avoiding mandated spending.
