Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation that requires public colleges and universities to adopt policies distinguishing tenure decisions from misconduct-based discipline for faculty. House Bill 2194 also directs that disciplinary policies apply to tenured and nontenured faculty in the same way. Under the new framework, before termination or suspension based on misconduct, faculty must receive written notice of the grounds and an opportunity to be heard by the institution’s chief academic officer or chief executive. The law bars using “awarding, denial, or revocation of tenure” as a disciplinary tool. Supporters said the changes prevent tenure from becoming a shield against consequences for misconduct. Critics argued the bill narrows existing due-process procedures by limiting faculty involvement in recommendation or voting for misconduct-related actions. The statute also requires public institutions to preserve “institutional neutrality, free expression, and civil discourse,” and to publish the required policies online—raising immediate compliance tasks for boards, general counsel, and faculty governance systems.