Tennessee laws reshaping the school day this year

Three recently enacted Tennessee laws place new classroom phone restrictions starting in the 2025–2026 school year, require 40 minutes of daily unstructured recess for elementary students (effective July 1), and mandate gun-safety instruction in public schools.

New state laws are changing how time is organized in Tennessee public schools and what students are taught during the school day. The measures discussed here were passed by the Tennessee legislature and are being implemented at the state and district level. Student journalists reported the changes and the stated intentions of lawmakers and some parents. The three laws address device use in class, minimum recess time, and required gun-safety instruction. Key details: - Phone restrictions (HB0932): Beginning in the 2025–2026 school year, public schools must adopt policies that prohibit students from using cell phones in class without teacher permission; the rule covers phones, tablets, smartwatches, gaming consoles and similar wireless devices and includes exceptions for students with disabilities and emergency use. - Recess expansion (HB0085): Elementary schools must provide 40 minutes of unstructured outdoor play per day; schools may not count physical education toward that time and may not use skipping recess as punishment; the law took effect on July 1 and replaces a weekly 130-minute standard. - Gun-safety instruction (Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-1016): Schools will offer training that teaches students how to identify firearms and a safety procedure summarized as “Stop, Don’t Touch, Leave the Area, and Tell an Adult,” with additional content for older students about safe storage; the law is in effect and does not allow families to opt out. Summary: The laws change daily routines and required programming in Tennessee schools, with some provisions already effective and others beginning with the 2025–2026 school year. Local school districts are responsible for implementing the new policies, and additional related bills remain under consideration by the legislature; specifics of enforcement and local rollout are undetermined at this time.