Brent Taylor Democrats Featured HB1658 House Bill 1658 House Education Committee Kip Capley Raumesh Akbari Republicans Rusty Crowe SB1709

Tennessee Civics Education Act Passes Senate Committee

February 26, 2026

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Image Credit: TN General Assembly

The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

On Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee passed a bill which would require some first-time applicants for a state teaching license to pass a civics test similar to the one immigrants must pass to gain citizenship.

Under SB1709 by Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis-District 31), the exam requirement would mandate that new teachers take the same type of test the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) already requires high school seniors to take based on the one administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

New applicants would be required to pass the test with a score of 70% or higher, and current teachers will not be impacted by the legislation.

During the Senate committee meeting, Sen. Taylor clarified that the testing requirement would take effect for any new teachers licensed after July 1, 2027. The test would be comprised of 100 questions drawn from same pool as those issued to immigrants attempting to attain U.S. citizenship.

Republican Sen. Rusty Crowe announced he had procured the test himself as he believed if lawmakers were going to be asking teachers to answer those questions, they should also be familiar with the questions and able to answer. He encouraged his fellow committee members to get a copy from his office.

Democrat Sen. Raumesh Akbari said she believed the requirement does not seem “germane to a teaching license”, especially as “teachers already have a lot of things and steps they have to take for licensure.” She asked if teachers would in fact be denied a teaching license if they were unable to pass the test, and Sen. Taylor confirmed that would be the case.

While acknowledging her belief “that it’s important that every segment of this population has a better understanding of civics, particularly the difference between state, federal, and local government,” Akbari continued to question the rationale of the bill.

Sen. Taylor reiterated that students, from junior high to college, are leaving the education system without a proper understanding of “our values, and what it means to be an American, and how our government functions.” He contended that while the institution of a civics test for teachers may not completely solve the problem, “it is important that our teachers, who are in front of our kids, my kids, your kids, everyone’s kids, that they at least have a functioning understanding of what it means to be an American and how our system of government works. I don’t think it’s too much to ask somebody that’s going to spend eight hours a day with our students, teaching them, that they understand American civics.”

After an additional question about how the test will be administered and comments in support of the bill from other committee members, the vote was 8-1, with only Democrat Sen. Akbari voting against.

The bill will now move to the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee as there would be a cost incurred by the Department of Education for procuring a third-party vendor to administer the tests.

The House companion of the bill, HB1658, was passed by the House Education Administration Subcommittee on Feb. 17 with an amendment that would make the legislation applicable only to new teachers seeking an endorsement in social studies, history, or civics.

It has been placed on the calendar for the House Education Committee for Tuesday, March 3.