Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee HB1881: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 9; Title 12; Title 48; Title 49 and Title 67, relative to education.
Status: Chaptered, May 27, 2026
Fiscal Summary NOT SIGNIFICANT Bill Summary ON APRIL 22, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1. SENATE BILL 1585, AS AMENDED, FAILED TO RECEIVE A CONSTITUTIONAL MAJORITY. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to revise the assessment testing requirements for students who participate in the education savings account (ESA) program. Present law requires, as a condition of participating in the ESA program, participating students in grades three through 11 must be annually administered the TCAP tests for math and English language arts, or successor tests authorized by the state board of education for math and English language arts. For participating students enrolled full-time in a participating school, the participating school is required to annually administer such tests to participating students. For participating students 17 years of age or younger who are not enrolled full-time in a participating school, the participating student's parent must ensure that the participating student is annually administered such tests. A participating student who is 18 or older and who is not enrolled full-time in a participating school must ensure that the participating student is annually administered such tests. This amendment instead requires that, as a condition of receiving an ESA, a participating student in grade three through 11 must be annually administered: (1) A nationally standardized achievement test that is aligned to the respective participating school's instructional plan, as determined by rules promulgated by the state board; or (2) The TCAP tests for math and English language arts. This amendment requires each participating school: (1) To annually administer such test or tests to participating students enrolled in the school; (2) Provide the test results to the participating student's parents; and
What the bill says
From the amended text:
Amendment No. 9 to HB1881 Hicks T Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 1585* House Bill No. 1881 by deleting Section 2 and substituting: SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2602(3), is amended by deleting subdivision (D) and substituting: (D) Is a member of a household with an annual income for the previous year that does not exceed three hundred percent (300%) of the amount required for the student to qualify for free or reduced price lunch, as provided in the income eligibility guidelines published by the United States department of agriculture's food and nutrition service; SECTION 3. The department of education may establish the application windows, forms, and procedures necessary for the department to award an education savings account to an eligible student who is a member of a household with an annual income described in Section 2, and who is otherwise eligible for an education savings account pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 26, for the 2026-2027 school year. SECTION 4. The state board of education may promulgate emergency rules to effectuate Section 2 of this act for the 2026-2027 school year in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 5. SECTION 5. Section 1 of this act takes effect July 1, …