NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee public school teachers will soon have new authority to incorporate lessons on the historical influence of religion in America under a law set to take effect July 1.
Governor Bill Lee signed the “Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act” into law on April 14 after it passed the Tennessee General Assembly earlier this year. The measure, Senate Bill 1828, cleared the Tennessee Senate by a 27-6 vote and the Tennessee House by a 70-22 margin.
The new law allows educators in Tennessee public schools, public charter schools, and public universities to teach about what the legislation describes as the “positive impacts” of religion on American history, particularly the influence of Judeo-Christian values on the nation’s development.
According to the legislation, teaching the historical impact of religion on American history is consistent with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The law also states that understanding the influence of Judeo-Christian values on American freedoms and liberties is important for reducing ignorance of history, hate, and violence, and that teaching verified historical impacts of religion does not constitute religious proselytizing.
Supporters of the measure argue it provides educators with additional opportunities to discuss the role religion played in shaping American institutions, culture, and government. The legislation specifically allows instruction on topics such as the Pilgrims, references to divine power in the Declaration of Independence, and the religious beliefs of some of the nation’s founders.
Tennessee’s existing Social Studies Standards already include discussions of religion in several areas of instruction. Students currently learn about religion’s role during the Age of Exploration, the settlement of the New World, divisions between Catholic and Protestant regions in Europe, and aspects of Tennessee history and African American history.
However, supporters of the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act say the new law expands opportunities for teachers to focus more directly on religion’s positive historical contributions to American society.
The law will officially take effect statewide on July 1, 2026. Public school systems and higher education institutions across Tennessee will then be permitted to incorporate the authorized instruction into their curriculum and classroom discussions.
