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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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HB0355 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to virtual school students.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Powers, White
Last action
2025-04-30
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 173
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how LEAs will enforce or implement these requirements.

Virtual School Students Can Join Sports Teams

This bill allows virtual school students in Tennessee to participate in interscholastic sports teams if they meet eligibility requirements set by organizations or associations that regulate such competitions.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires local education agencies (LEAs) to permit virtual school students to participate in interscholastic athletics at member schools if the student meets the organization's eligibility rules.
  • Allows LEAs to permit virtual school students to join sports teams at public schools within their zone, even if those schools are not part of any athletic organizations.
  • Doesn't guarantee that a virtual school student will make it onto a team; coaches and officials still decide who gets on the team.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Virtual school students in Tennessee
  • Local education agencies (LEAs) that oversee public schools

Terms To Know

Local Education Agency (LEA)
An organization responsible for providing public education within a specific area.
Interscholastic athletics
Sports competitions between different schools.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not guarantee that virtual school students will make the team, only that they can try out.
  • Doesn't change rules set by athletic organizations or associations.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0355

Plain English: The amendment adds requirements for virtual school students to be enrolled in schools offering statewide enrollment.

  • Adds the requirement that a virtual school student must be enrolled in a virtual school that offers statewide enrollment.
  • The exact impact and implementation details of this change are not fully explained in the amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 173

  2. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/11/2025

  3. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 173

  4. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  11. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 73, Nays 22, PNV 1

  12. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. tabled. (Amendment 1 - HA0184)

  13. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 3/27/2025

  15. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  16. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/24/2025

  17. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/20/2025

  18. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  20. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  21. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  22. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  24. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/18/2025

  25. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/18/2025

  26. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/13/2025

  27. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025

  29. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  30. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/11/2025

  31. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/5/2025

  32. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/4/2025

  33. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/4/2025

  34. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 2/25/2025

  35. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Committee

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/18/2025

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  40. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  41. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2025-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

If a public school established under the jurisdiction of a
local education agency ("
LEA
")
is a member of an organizatio
n or an association that regulates interscholastic athletic competition, and if such organization or association establishes or maintains eligibility requirements for virtual school students to participate in interscholastic athletics at a member school,
t
hen
this bill requires
the LEA
to
permit participation in interscholastic athletics at the member schools by a virtual school student who satisfies the eligibility requirements established by the organization or association.

If a public school establishe
d under the jurisdiction of an LEA offers students the opportunity to participate in interscholastic athletic competition 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 such school by a virtual school student who is zoned and is otherwise eligible to attend the school.

However, this bill
does not guarantee that a virtual school student trying
out for an interscholastic athletics team will make the team, nor does it supplant the authority of coaches or other school officials in deciding who makes the team.
Additionally, this bill does not
limit or supplant the authority of the organization or a
ssociation to determine eligibility and to establish, modify, and enforce its rules and eligibility requirements, including those applicable to virtual school students.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 690
By White

HOUSE BILL 355
By Powers

HB0355
000935
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to virtual school students.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 16, Part 2, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) If a public school established under the jurisdiction of an LEA is a member of
an organization or an association that regulates interscholastic athletic competition, and
if such organization or association establishes or maintains eligibility requirements for
virtual school students to participate in interscholastic athletics at a member school, then
the LEA shall permit participation in interscholastic athletics at the member schools by a
virtual school student who satisfies the eligibility requirements established by the
organization or association.
(b) If a public school established under the jurisdiction of an LEA offers students
the opportunity to participate in interscholastic athletic competition without the school
being a member of an organization or an association that regulates interscholastic
athletic competition, then the LEA shall permit participation in interscholastic athletics at
such school by a virtual school student who is zoned and is otherwise eligible to attend
the school.
(c) This section does not guarantee that a virtual school student trying out for an
interscholastic athletics team will make the team, nor does it supplant the authority of
coaches or other school officials in deciding who makes the team. This section is
intended to guarantee only that the virtual school student is not prohibited from trying out

- 2 - 000935

for an interscholastic athletics team, if the student is otherwise eligible to participate
under the rules of the organization or association, solely by reason of the student's
status as a virtual school student.
(d) This section must not be construed to limit or supplant the authority of the
organization or association to determine eligibility and to establish, modify, and enforce
its rules and eligibility requirements, including those applicable to virtual school students.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.