The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill in the state House and Senate on Monday addressing and prohibiting antisemitic discrimination in the state’s public schools, colleges and universities, the Combat Antisemitism Movement announced.
The CAM-supported bill—sponsored by Rusty Grills, a Republican state representative, and Paul Rose, a Republican state senator—passed by 79-11 and 29-1 margins in the state House and Senate, respectively. It now heads to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee for further action.
The legislation would “send a powerful message that Tennessee is taking proactive steps to protect its Jewish community,” said David Soffer, CAM director of state engagement, at a recent legislative hearing at the state capitol in Nashville.
“It will also demonstrate to the rest of the nation that Tennessee is committed to combating hatred in all its forms and ensuring the safety and dignity of all students, faculty members and staff members,” he said.
The legislation, which defines antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition, “requires the integration of the definition into student, faculty, and employee codes of conduct or anti-discrimination policies,” according to CAM. It also allows the Tennessee Department of Education to use the IHRA definition to determine discrimination in Title VI cases.
Tennessee adopted the IHRA definition in May 2022. In January, Mark Pody, a Republican state senator, introduced a bill requiring the use of the IHRA definition when determining state bias.
A total of 37 U.S. states have adopted the definition.
