A RESOLUTION to propose an amendment to Article XI, Section 12 of the Constitution of Tennessee, relative to parental rights.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- On the ballot
- Ratified
Overview
This constitutional amendment would establish parents' explicit right to direct their child's education and specifically protect home-based education from state interference through laws or regulations that would restrict homeschooling.
Why it matters: If passed, this amendment would provide strong constitutional protection for homeschooling families in Tennessee by preventing the state from adopting or enforcing rules that limit parental choice in home education.
Topic: definition_of_school · classifier confidence 95%
What this changes
Constitutional amendment / resolution
Law today: Tennessee's Constitution currently does not explicitly establish a parental right to direct a child's education or protect home-based education from state interference.
If passed: This resolution would amend Tennessee's Constitution to recognize parents' inherent right to direct their child's education and to prohibit the state from adopting or enforcing laws or rules that infringe on or restrict a parent's right to provide home-based education. If ratified by voters, this would elevate parental educational choice and homeschooling freedom to a constitutional protection in Tennessee.
AI-generated from the bill text — verify against the official text.
Likely supporters & opponents
Likely support
- Homeschool advocacy organizations — A constitutional amendment would provide the strongest legal protection for parental rights and homeschooling freedom against future legislative or regulatory restrictions.
- School-choice and parental-rights advocates — Constitutional status for parental educational direction reflects the fundamental principle that parents, not the state, have primary authority over their children's upbringing and education.
Likely opposition
- Public education advocates — A broad constitutional protection for homeschooling may limit the state's ability to set baseline educational standards, accountability measures, or requirements designed to ensure student safety and achievement.
- Child-welfare advocates — Without room for state oversight or intervention, such an amendment could hamper authorities' ability to identify and protect children in unsafe or educationally inadequate home environments.
AI-inferred typical positions based on the bill’s substance — general stakeholder categories, not confirmed endorsements.
Should I support this?
Likely helpful for Christian families
This amendment would provide the highest level of legal protection for homeschooling by constitutionally enshrining parental rights to home-based education and limiting state power to restrict or regulate it—a significant expansion of homeschooling freedom and parental choice in Tennessee.
An AI assessment from a Christian-family perspective — religious freedom, parental rights, and freedom in education — not legal or voting advice.
Official summary
Proposes an amendment to Article XI, Section 12 of the Constitution of Tennessee to establish that parents have the inherent right to direct the education of the parent's child; prohibits the state from interfering with such rights through the adoption or enforcement of any law or rule that abridges, infringes upon, or restricts a parent's right to provide home-based education.
Sponsors
- Janince Bowling (R)
Status timeline
- 2026-03-17Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary CommitteeS
- 2026-03-16Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026S
- 2026-03-16Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026S
- 2026-03-11Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026S
- 2026-03-10Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026S
- 2026-03-09Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/10/2026S
- 2026-03-09Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/10/2026S
- 2026-03-04Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026S
- 2025-02-12Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary CommitteeS
- 2025-02-10Introduced, Passed on First ConsiderationS
- 2025-02-05Filed for introductionS
H = House · S = Senate · A = Assembly