Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee HB1785: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to interscholastic athletics.
Status: Chaptered, May 18, 2026
Fiscal Summary NOT SIGNIFICANT Bill Summary In the 2026-2027 school year, and each school year thereafter, if a public high school established under the jurisdiction of an LEA to serve students in any of the grades 9-12 is a member of an organization or an association that regulates interscholastic athletic competition, then this bill requires the LEA to permit participation in interscholastic athletics offered at the public high school by a high school student who meets all of the following criteria: Is enrolled in a private school that serves fewer than 200 students and is located within the geographic boundaries of the LEA. Satisfies the eligibility requirements established by the organization or association. Resides within the geographic boundaries of the LEA. However, this bill authorizes such a high school student to only participate in interscholastic athletics at the public high school that the student is zoned to attend. NON-MEMBER SCHOOLS In the 2026-2027 school year, and each school year thereafter, if a public high school established under the jurisdiction of an LEA offers its students the opportunity to participate in interscholastic athletic competition at the public high school without the school being a member of an organization or an association that regulates interscholastic athletic competition, then this bill requires the LEA to permit participation in interscholastic athletics at the public high school by a high school student who is enrolled in a private school as described above and who is zoned to attend the public high school. However, such provision does not prevent or interfere with the application and enforcement of any eligibility requirements of an organization or association that regulates interscholastic athletic competition if the public high school at which the student seeks to
What the bill says
From the amended text:
Amendment No. 2 to HB1785 Johnson Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 1822 House Bill No. 1785* by inserting the following as new sections immediately preceding the effective date section and renumbering the effective date section accordingly: SECTION __. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 26, is amended by adding the following as a new section: (a) If a participating school that serves students in any of the grades six through twelve (6-12) is a member of an organization or an association that regulates interscholastic athletic competition, then the participating school must permit participation in interscholastic athletics offered at the participating school by a middle or high school student who: (1) Is enrolled in a public school that is not a member of the organization or association and that serves fewer than two hundred (200) students in grades six through eight (6-8) or fewer than two hundred (200) students in grades nine through twelve (9-12): (2) Satisfies the eligibility requirements established by the organization or association; and (3) Resides within the county in which the participating school is located. (b) If a participating school serves students in any of the grades six through twelve (6-12) and offers its students the opportunity to participate in interscholastic athletic competition at the participating school without the school …