NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Republican-sponsored bill to require public schools to teach students the positive outcomes associated with following a “success sequence,” which includes first getting married, then having children, passed the Tennessee Senate Thursday, but not everyone agreed that life follows a perfect checklist.
The bill, called the “Success Sequence Act,” would require schools to teach students the positive outcomes associated with completing the following in the following order: graduate high school, enter the workforce or go to college, get married, and then have children.
Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma), the bill’s sponsor, argued in most cases, those who follow the “success sequence” statistically experience better outcomes than those who don’t.
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“Children raised by married parents are twice as likely to graduate from college than children who are not, children not raised in a home with married parents are twice as likely to end up in jail or prison before reaching 30 years of age. Children raised by a single parent are three times as likely to live in poverty than married parents,” Sen. Bowling said.
Sen. Bowling told lawmakers on the Senate floor Thursday she is “fully aware” that not everyone gets married, and the bill wouldn’t create that requirement.
“I know people that are very dear that went to college, got their degree, never married, and they live very successful, happy lives, but if it’s in your purview to get married, then you need to get married and then have children,” Sen. Bowling said.
However, the bill defines the “success sequence” as “a method by which a person completes the following, in the following sequence,” according to the bill’s language, meaning a person would need to complete all four steps to complete the “success sequence.”
Democrats called the bill “indoctrination.”
“With all due respect to the sponsor, it’s not personal, it’s strictly about the bill, but I think this bill is misguided, it’s very offensive, and I am living proof that this bill has no merit,” Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis), who is also a single mother, said. “I know plenty of children born in two-parent households who are in jail, who are not doing anything, who don’t have jobs; they’re not sustainable. It’s not a for sure indicator of a child’s success. It’s about the mentality of the parents, not the status of their relationship when it comes to marriage.”
The bill passed the Senate 25 to 5 in a vote along party lines.
“If we haven’t learned anything, this is America, and success is defined in many different ways,” Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville) told News 2 after the bill passed the Senate. “Success for a lot of people in this country does not come linearly like that. People have to grind and grit to get what they have, especially the folks that [Republicans] consider [diversity, equity, and inclusion] DEI hires.”
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However, Republicans argued Democrats misunderstand the bill. They said it doesn’t claim the “success sequence” is the end-all be-all to success, but that it’s been proven effective in the “vast majority” of cases.
“They were trying to tie marriage to children, and somehow they were saying that everybody should get married, everybody should have children. That’s not what it’s saying,” Sen. Bo Watson (R-Hixson) told News 2. “It’s saying that delaying some of these behaviors until later in life has been proven in social science to help people be much more successful. I was surprised to see the Democrats arguing against that.”
The “success sequence” would be added to the already existing family life curriculum in TN public schools. Parents could opt their children out.
The House version of the bill is set to be debated in the House Education Committee April 1. If it passes the House floor, it would go into effect during the 2026-27 school year.
