NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, on Monday passed legislation to provide Tennessee students with instruction on a life plan that is proven to promote prosperity. The Success Sequence Act updates Tennessee’s family life curriculum by adding instruction on the success sequence, which includes obtaining a high school degree, entering the workforce or […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, on Monday passed legislation to provide Tennessee students with instruction on a life plan that is proven to promote prosperity.
The Success Sequence Act updates Tennessee’s family life curriculum by adding instruction on the success sequence, which includes obtaining a high school degree, entering the workforce or pursuing a post-secondary degree or credential, getting married then having children.
“The success sequence is a proven way to flourish and it’s essential that we convey this vital information to Tennessee children,” Bulso said. “The nuclear family and these other important milestones have a rich tradition in our nation, and the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that someone who follows this order of life events has an exponentially higher probability of success. Our state will continue thriving if we invest in strong children and provide them with a wealth of resources and guidance. I thank my Republican colleagues for backing this important legislation to help ensure students in the Volunteer State have every available opportunity to prosper.”
Ninety-seven percent of millennials (adults aged 32-38) who followed the success sequence avoided poverty in adulthood, including more than 95 percent of black and Hispanic adults, according to a report from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Conversely, more than half of millennial adults who failed to follow the sequence entirely found themselves in poverty.
Children who grow up in traditional nuclear families consisting of a married mother and father are healthier, earn higher grades, and are less likely to have behavioral or emotional issues, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Linacre Quarterly.
Research consistently shows that education leads to increased wages and earnings in adulthood, with one study finding annual earnings rise by roughly 20 percent for each educational level achieved, according to a report from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation within the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
A majority of American parents, 76 percent, say they support teaching the success sequence in public schools, including 85 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of Democrats, and 72 percent of people who did not follow the sequence, the AEI reports
House Bill 178 seeks to provide Tennessee students with instruction and evidence regarding the positive personal and societal outcomes that result from following the success sequence. Family life curriculum is taught to students in grades 5-9 in Tennessee. Parents can opt their children out of instruction.
The legislation was overwhelmingly backed by Republicans and passed the House on Monday without a single Democrat vote in favor. The Success Sequence Act now heads to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk to be signed into law. The legislation will take effect on July 1, 2026, and instruction will begin in the 2026-27 school year.
Bulso in 2024 passed legislation to require family life curricula to present a video or ultrasound demonstrating embryonic fetal development, providing a visual representation of a preborn baby’s life cycle.
State Rep. Gino Bulso represents House District 61, which includes part of Williamson County.