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SB 1163

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires, instead of encourages, LEAs and public charter schools to incorporate training in evidence-based skills training on positive behavioral interventions and supports, conflict prevention, functional behavior assessments, de-escalation, and conflict management into its behavior intervention training program; requires at least two hours of such training each school year; allows the hours of training received to be applied toward in-service training requirements. - Amends TCA Title 49.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Raumesh Akbari

Tennessee bill requiring schools to mandate annual behavioral intervention training (de-escalation, conflict prevention) for staff, with minimum two-hour annual requirement counting toward professional development.

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Bill Summary · SB 1163

Legislative bill overview

SB 1163 mandates that Tennessee local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools incorporate training in evidence-based behavioral interventions—including positive behavioral supports, conflict prevention, de-escalation, and conflict management—into their annual training programs. The bill requires a minimum of two hours of such training annually and allows these hours to count toward teachers' in-service training requirements.

Why is this important

School safety and teacher preparedness directly affect student outcomes and classroom environment. Providing teachers with de-escalation and conflict prevention skills can reduce disciplinary incidents, suspensions, and school-based conflicts. This creates a secondary benefit of allowing districts to satisfy multiple professional development requirements simultaneously, potentially reducing overall training costs and time burdens.

Potential points of contention

  • Mandates vs. local control: The shift from "encourage" to "require" removes district flexibility in designing behavior training programs, which some may view as overreach into local education decision-making
  • Funding and implementation: The bill does not specify funding mechanisms for training development or delivery, potentially creating unfunded mandates for LEAs with limited budgets
  • Training quality and variability: "Evidence-based" is undefined in the bill text, leaving interpretation open to inconsistent implementation across districts and schools
  • Time requirements: Two hours annually may be viewed as insufficient by some or burdensome by others depending on existing professional development calendars

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

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