Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 49.

Tennessee HB0622 amends employment decision criteria for county and municipal governments, local education agencies, public institutions of higher education, and the state, prohibiting the use of demographic characteristics such as race, ethnicity, sex, and age in favor of individual merit and qualifications. The bill also removes the requirement for the State Board of Education to promote educator diversity based on these demographic characteristics and voids any conflicting existing policies. Key provisions include a process for counties to seek exemptions from compliance if it would jeopardize federal funding and a requirement for annual renewal of such exemptions.