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In Effect Law AI Safety

TN University AI Policy Law

Tennessee Higher Education AI Policy Mandate - Tenn. Code § 49-7-185

Requires University of Tennessee, Board of Regents, and all state university governing boards to adopt policies regarding AI use by students, faculty, and staff for instructional and assignment purposes. Policies must be implemented by July 1, 2025.

Jurisdiction

Tennessee

Enacted

Mar 11, 2024

Effective

Mar 11, 2024

Enforcement

Tennessee Board of Regents; University of Tennessee Board of Trustees; individual university governing boards

Enacted March 11, 2024. Implementation deadline: July 1, 2025.

Tennessee Code

Why It Matters

Establishes precedent for state-mandated educational AI governance. Relevant for AI education platforms and university AI tool providers.

Recent Developments

Enacted March 11, 2024. Implementation deadline July 1, 2025. First state to mandate university-wide AI policies.

At a Glance

Applies to

Educational AIGeneral Chatbot

Requires

Transparency

Who Must Comply

  • University of Tennessee system
  • Tennessee Board of Regents institutions
  • All state university governing boards
  • Students, faculty, and staff at Tennessee public universities

Obligations fall on:

Safety Provisions

  • Mandatory AI usage policies for all TN universities
  • Covers student, faculty, and staff use of AI
  • Addresses instructional and assignment purposes
  • First state to mandate comprehensive university AI policies

Compliance & Enforcement

Key Dates

Jul 1, 2025

All Tennessee universities must adopt and post AI usage policy

Penalties

None specified (policy mandate only)

View on map

Tennessee

Focus Areas

Algorithmic accountability

Cite This

APA

Tennessee. (2024). Tennessee Higher Education AI Policy Mandate - Tenn. Code § 49-7-185.

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Last updated January 22, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.