Tennessee school security camera law

What does the Tennessee law require?

A public school building, including a public charter school building, built or remodeled after July 1, 2023, "must, at a minimum," meet a list of standards. One is a camera system that continuously monitors each entrance, hallway and communal area during regular school hours and school events on school grounds, and that local law enforcement can access in an emergency. In a remodeled building, the standards apply only to the remodeled portions. A building's construction date is the date its plans were approved or its construction permit was issued, whichever comes first. The camera standard sets what must be watched, when, and that police can reach it in an emergency; it sets no rule on classrooms, restrooms, audio, notice, retention or camera specifications. These standards come from 2023 Public Chapter 367, which took effect July 1, 2023. A 2025 law, Public Chapter 448, directs the state-level safety team to write guidelines for complying with this section and send them to the state fire marshal to be made into rules. That law took effect July 1, 2025.

Can police see school camera video?

During a drill or an emergency, each LEA (school district) or public charter school must, to the greatest extent practicable, give a responding law enforcement agency access to the security systems its response may require. For this duty, "security systems" includes audio and visual recording systems and any other cameras in a school building. On request from local law enforcement with jurisdiction, the Department of Education or the Department of Safety, an LEA or public charter school must provide any other plans, information or records about school security. School safety teams must consider, but need not adopt, a mobile panic alert system that coordinates first responder agencies in real time. Each LEA and public charter school must send the Department of Safety a yearly security self-assessment for each school.

Is school camera footage a public record?

School security reports, memoranda, plans, notes, threats and procedures must be treated as confidential and are not open to public inspection. That rule does not name video, recordings or camera footage.

What does state guidance recommend?

Department of Education guidance advises schools to make sure each entry point is monitored, either by staff or through surveillance cameras. A 2026 law created an advisory board to recommend safe school design guidelines that LEAs and public charter schools may consider when building or remodeling. The guidelines must address access, control and visibility, and are due by January 1, 2027. They are not public and may be shared only with government entities.

How can schools pay for cameras?

The 2023 appropriations act gave $20,000,000 in one-time money for school safety grants, plus $7,000,000 for school safety grants to non-public schools; neither is camera-specific. The appropriations act for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2025, added $20,000,000 in one-time money to the school safety grant fund. The Department of Education reports a $20,000,000 Fiscal Year 2026 Public School Security Grant for LEAs and public charter schools. It reports surveillance among the top five uses of public school security grant funds, and the top use of non-public school security grant funds.

What happened to recent camera bills?

SB 2485 and HB 2410 (2026) would have allowed an LEA or public charter school, with parental approval, to use cameras in special-education classrooms. SB 2485 never passed the Senate; its last action was a spot on the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for April 21, 2026. HB 2410 was taken off notice in the House Education Committee on April 1, 2026. A 2025 bill to require special-education classroom cameras on parental request, SB 972, went no further than referral to the Senate Education Committee in February 2025. The 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) has ended, and the legislature lists the 115th as current.