Education, Higher - As introduced, requires the institute of American civics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to develop materials and curricula for a course in a baccalaureate degree program including American government or American history; requires each student enrolled in a public institution of higher education to complete a course of instruction that includes such curricula prior to the student obtaining a baccalaureate degree. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

HB 291 requires the University of Tennessee's Institute of American Civics to create a standardized course curriculum on American government and history for all public Tennessee colleges and universities. The curriculum must cover specific foundational documents, including the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," plus one additional African-American freedom struggle document. All public higher education students must complete this 3-semester-hour course before earning a bachelor's degree, starting with the 2025-2026 academic year, though equivalent advanced placement or dual credit courses may satisfy the requirement. The bill mandates that institutions implement this without increasing degree credit requirements or conflicting with accreditation standards.