Bring America's Founding Principles Back Into Tennessee Schools
A new Tennessee law provides local school boards and public charter school governing bodies a path to display the Ten Commandments alongside foundational American documents in Tennessee schools.
A New Opportunity for Tennessee Schools
Effective July 1st, 2026, Tennessee law authorizes local boards of education and governing bodies of public charter schools to allow schools to display the 10 Commandments, a portion of the Declaration of Independence, and the preamble of the Constitution of the United States. Tennessee Stands is working to help Tennesseans understand the new law and is providing practical ways for citizens to help make these displays available in their communities.
HB 47 / SB 303
This law took effect July 1, 2026 and applies beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.
Read the LegislationWhat Does the Law Include?
The legislation identifies three texts as eligible for display in common areas, such as entryways or lunchrooms.
The Ten Commandments
The law specifies the following text of the Ten Commandments may be
used in the display:
I AM the LORD thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images. Thou shalt not
take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day,
to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may
be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt
not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt
not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor
anything that is thy neighbor's."
Declaration of Independence
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
U.S. Constitution
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
What the New Law Means
Tennessee Enacted the Legislation
Tennessee House Bill 47/Tennessee Senate Bill 303 became Public Chapter 924 and took effect July 1, 2026.
Local School Boards Have a Choice
The law authorizes local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies to allow schools under their jurisdiction to display the identified texts.
The Displays Must Meet Specific Requirements
Participating school systems determine the size and placement, subject to requirements in the law concerning visibility, readability and the text displayed.
Communities Can Help
The law encourages organizations and individuals to donate the funds or materials necessary for these displays.
The Law Opened the Door.
Now Let's Put the Documents on the Wall.
Tennessee Stands is working to help make professionally produced founding-document displays available to Tennessee communities and schools. Working county by county, we're connecting grassroots organizations and unifying efforts to petition local school boards.
Support the ProjectBring This Project to Your Community
We're building a statewide network of Tennesseans interested in helping make these displays available in their communities.
Tell us where you'd like to get involved and our team can connect with you about opportunities in your area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about the legislation, the displays, and how you can participate in the project.
This was a HUGE win for religious liberty and public expressions of faith and bolsters laws like in Tennessee. Now, we can help bring God back to the public square to help heal our nation. Our children and citizens can be educated on the truth about our Christian heritage.