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HB0997 • 2026

Schools, Charter

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 13 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to public charter schools.

Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Stevens, White
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 388
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details about the effective date or how existing fees will be handled for new enrollments within the same district.

Charter School Fees Ban

This bill prohibits public charter schools and local education agencies (LEAs) from charging fees to students who move from another LEA within the same county.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits a county LEA or public charter school authorized in that county from charging registration, enrollment, or tuition fees for a student transferring from another LEA located in the same county.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public charter schools
  • Local education agencies (LEAs)
  • Students moving between LEAs within the same county

Terms To Know

Local Education Agency (LEA)
An agency responsible for providing public education in a specific area, such as a school district.
Charter School
A publicly funded school that operates independently of the local school board under a charter agreement.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not address fees for students moving from another county.
  • It is unclear how existing fees will be handled for new enrollments within the same district.
  • The effective date has not been specified in the official summary.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0997

Plain English: The amendment changes how students transferring between local education agencies (LEAs) within the same county are treated for enrollment purposes at public charter schools.

  • Removes registration fees, enrollment fees, or tuition for a student who moves from one LEA to a public charter school in the same county.
  • Clarifies that students transferring between LEAs within the same county to enroll in a public charter school are not considered out-of-district students.
  • The amendment text does not specify if there are exceptions or conditions for these changes, such as special circumstances or specific types of fees.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1018

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee's laws about public charter schools by adding rules that prevent these schools from charging fees or tuition to students who move from another school in the same county.

  • Adds new language to Section 49-13-106(e) of Tennessee Code Annotated, stating that public charter schools cannot charge registration, enrollment, or tuition fees for students transferring from other local education agencies (LEAs) within the same county.
  • Modifies Section 49-13-113(c)(3) to include similar restrictions on charging fees or tuition for such transfers.
  • The amendment text does not specify any exceptions or conditions under which these rules might not apply, so it's unclear if there are scenarios where fees could still be charged.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 388

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2025

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 388

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 31, Nays 1 (Amendment 1 - HA0304)

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/17/2025

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 74, Nays 20, PNV 0

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0304)

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  15. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  16. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  18. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  19. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 4/1/2025

  20. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 4/1/2025

  21. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/25/2025

  22. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/25/2025

  23. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  27. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 29, Nays 0

  29. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0026)

  30. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/6/2025

  33. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/4/2025

  34. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  35. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/26/2025

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  37. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 6, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1018, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT
#1 applies the same prohibition against charging such fees to the authorizing county LEA.

ON APRIL 16, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 1018 FOR HOUSE BILL 997, ADOPTED AMENDMENT 1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1018, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites
the bill to, instead, make the following revisions to present law:



Prohibits a county LEA or public charter school authorized to operate in a county LEA from charging registration fees, enrollment fees, or tuition for a student who resides in the county and who transfers to a public charter school authorized to operate in the county LEA from another LEA located in the same county.



Prohibits a student who resides in a county in which more than one LEA operates from being considered an out-of-district student for purposes of enrollment in a public charter school authorized to operate in the county LEA if the student transfers to the public charter school from another LEA located in the same county.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1018
By White

HOUSE BILL 997
By Stevens

HB0997
001818
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 13 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to
public charter schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-106(e), is amended by
deleting the language "§ 49-13-113(b)" and substituting instead the language "§ 49-13-113" and
by adding the following as a new subdivision:
(3) Subdivision (e)(1) does not allow a public charter school authorized in its
charter agreement to locate in a county LEA to charge a student who resides in the
county any registration fees, enrollment fees, or tuition if the student transfers to the
public charter school from another LEA located in the same county.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-113(c)(3), is amended by
adding the following language at the end of the subdivision:
This subdivision (c)(3) does not allow a public charter school authorized in its
charter agreement to locate in a county LEA to charge a student who resides in
the county any registration fees, enrollment fees, or tuition if the student transfers
to the public charter school from another LEA located in the same county.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.