HB0861 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 10 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to special education.

Education Parental Rights

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: McCalmon, Johnson
Last action: 2025-04-28
Official status: Effective date(s) 04/11/2025
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text clarifies that only certain evaluation reports are required to be provided, not all evaluations and assessments as initially stated.

Rules for Special Education Meetings in Tennessee

This bill requires local education agencies (LEAs) to notify parents or guardians of special education meetings and provide them with necessary documents before these meetings.

What This Bill Does

Requires LEAs to notify a student's parent or guardian at least ten days before an IEP meeting, unless both agree on a shorter notice period.
Requires LEAs to give the parent or guardian copies of all evaluations and assessments done for the student’s IEP at least 48 hours before the meeting.
If an LEA creates a draft IEP before the meeting, they must send it to the parent or guardian unless the parent or guardian declines in writing more than 48 hours before the meeting.

Who It Names or Affects

Local education agencies (LEAs) in Tennessee
Parents and guardians of students with special education needs

Terms To Know

IEP meeting: A meeting where a team, including the student's parents or guardians, discusses and plans the special education services for the student.
LEA: Local Education Agency, which is responsible for providing public education in a specific area.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if an LEA fails to follow these rules.
It's unclear how the state board of education will enforce these requirements.

Amendments

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

HA0058

Amendment 1-0 to HB0861

Plain English: The amendment adds new requirements for local education agencies (LEAs) to notify parents or guardians about Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meetings and provide them with necessary documents before these meetings.

An LEA must inform a parent or guardian at least ten calendar days before an IEP meeting, unless both parties agree on an earlier date.
At least forty-eight hours before the IEP meeting, the LEA must give parents or guardians copies of the student's evaluation report and draft IEP (if one exists).

The amendment does not specify what happens if a parent or guardian declines to receive the draft IEP.

SA0168

Amendment 1-0 to SB1073

Plain English: The amendment requires local education agencies (LEAs) to give parents or guardians more notice and information before Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meetings for students with special needs.

An LEA must notify a parent or guardian at least ten calendar days before an IEP meeting, unless both parties agree on an earlier date.
At least forty-eight hours before the IEP meeting, the LEA must provide parents or guardians with copies of the student's evaluation report and draft IEP (if one exists).

The amendment does not specify what happens if a parent or guardian declines to receive the draft IEP.

Bill History

2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 04/11/2025
2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 199
2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 199
2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for his action.
2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0168)
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 1, PNV 2
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0058)
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Companion House Bill substituted
2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/27/2025
2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/27/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/20/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/19/2025
2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025
2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/11/2025
2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/4/2025
2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/4/2025
2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 2/25/2025
2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Committee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/18/2025
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Education Committee
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires LEAs to do the following:

(1) Notify a student's parent or guardian at least 10 days before the student's individualized education program (IEP) meeting to ensure that the parent or guardian has an opportunity to attend, unless the
parent or guardian and LEA mutually agree to meet prior to 10 calendar days in accordance with rules promulgated by the state board of education; and

(2) Provide the following to the student's parent or guardian at least 48 hours prior to the IEP schedu
led meeting:

(A) A copy of all evaluations and assessments of the student conducted for purposes of the student's IEP; and

(B) If the LEA creates a draft IEP for the student prior to the IEP meeting, then a copy of the student's draft IEP, unless the s
tudent's parent or guardian provides written notice to the LEA more than 48 hours prior to the scheduled IEP meeting declining the parent's or guardian's right to receive a copy of the draft IEP.

ON MARCH 27, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASS
ED HOUSE BILL 861, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:



Clarifies that references to an "IEP meeting" throughout the bill refer to an IEP team meeting.



Revises the provision requiring the
LEA
to
provide to the parent or guardian of the student who is the subject of the IEP team meeting at least 48 hours prior to
such meeting a
copy of all evaluations and assessments of the student conducted for purposes of the student's IEP
to, instead, provide a
copy of the student's evaluation report that is to be used in the determination of the student's eligibility for special education or in the development of the draft IEP
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1073
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 861
By McCalmon

HB0861
002944
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 10 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to
special education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-10-103, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(d)
(1) An LEA shall notify a parent or guardian of a student at least ten (10)
calendar days before the student's IEP meeting to ensure that the parent or
guardian has an opportunity to attend, unless the parent or guardian and LEA
mutually agree to meet prior to ten (10) calendar days in accordance with rules
promulgated by the state board of education.
(2) An LEA shall provide the following to the parent or guardian of the
student who is the subject of the IEP meeting at least forty-eight (48) hours prior
to the IEP scheduled meeting:
(A) A copy of all evaluations and assessments of the student
conducted for purposes of the student's IEP; and
(B) If the LEA creates a draft IEP for the student prior to the IEP
meeting, then a copy of the student's draft IEP, unless the student's
parent or guardian provides written notice to the LEA more than forty-
eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled IEP meeting declining the parent's
or guardian's right to receive a copy of the draft IEP.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.