Amends TCA Section 49-7-154.

This bill adds to the present law provisions relating to the process of hiring certain higher education officials. PRESENT LAW Present law provides that an application and related materials submitted with the application for a position of chief executive officer of a public institution of higher education are confidential and are not open for public inspection, if the records could be used to identify a candidate for the position. However, after a search committee has selected candidates as finalists for such position, a record relating exclusively to the candidates selected as finalists is not confidential and must be open for public inspection, except for a record otherwise confidential under state or federal law. Present law provides that a "chief officer of a public institution of higher education" includes the president of the university of Tennessee system, the chancellor of the state university and community college system, a chancellor of a university of Tennessee campus or institute, and a president or director of an institution of the state university and community college system. A "finalist" means no less than three candidates selected by a search committee as the group from which one or more candidates must be recommended to the governing board of the public institution of higher education. Present law further provides the following (and these following provisions are scheduled to expire July 1, 2021): notwithstanding the above-described provisions, a search committee may select up to three candidates to be recommended to the governing board of a public institution of higher education for the following positions: (1) A president of a locally governing state university; (2) The president of the university of Tennessee system; (3) A president of a community college; or (4) A president or director of a Tennessee college of applied technology. Prior to initiating a search to fill a position listed in (1)-(4), a meeting that is open to the public and is held by the governing board to establish the search process, a timeline, and a statement of qualifications for the position. Also, no later than 15 calendar days before the final vote of the governing board to appoint or elect a person to fill such a position, records relating exclusively to the candidates are not treated as confidential and are open for public inspection, except for a record otherwise confidential under state or federal law. THIS BILL This bill adds the following positions to the present law provisions described above in (1)-(4): (A) A chancellor of a university of Tennessee campus or institute; and (B) The chancellor of the Tennessee board of regents. This bill also extends the above-described provisions relating to the process of selecting up to three candidates from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2028.