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HB1003 • 2026

Schools, Private

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to nonpublic schools.

Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Haston, Hensley
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 380
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on how the exemption for vaccinations will be implemented or enforced, leaving some uncertainty in this area.

Private Online Schools Exemption

This act allows certain fully online private schools in Tennessee to operate without following specific state requirements for class sizes, school calendars, vaccinations, and standardized testing.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows private schools that offer a fully online, self-paced education program to not follow the state's rules about class size limits.
  • These private schools do not have to stick to the state’s required number of instructional days or hours per day for public schools.
  • Private schools offering fully online programs are exempt from requiring students to be vaccinated against certain diseases before attending school.
  • The bill removes the requirement that these private schools give standardized tests in English and math each year to students in grades 3 through 11.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Fully online, self-paced private schools in Tennessee
  • Students enrolled in those specific private schools

Terms To Know

Category III regional accrediting agencies
Organizations that review and approve educational programs to ensure they meet certain standards.
Fully online, self-paced educational program
A type of schooling where students learn at their own pace through the internet without attending a physical school.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only applies to private schools that are regionally accredited by one of the Category III regional accrediting agencies.
  • It does not change requirements for other types of private or public schools in Tennessee.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1003

Plain English: This amendment allows certain fully online private schools in Tennessee to operate without following specific public school requirements like class size limits, instructional days/hours, and vaccination mandates.

  • Private schools that offer a fully online, self-paced education program and meet accreditation criteria can be exempt from state-mandated class sizes, instructional schedules, and student vaccination requirements if they are approved as Category III nonpublic schools.
  • The amendment specifies that these private schools must be accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission and regionally accredited by one of the designated Category III regional accrediting agencies.
  • The exact impact on public health and educational standards due to this exemption is not specified in the amendment text.
  • Details about how the state board will approve these schools as Category III nonpublic schools are not provided.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0827

Plain English: This amendment allows certain fully online private schools in Tennessee to operate without following specific public school requirements like class size limits, instructional days/hours, and vaccination mandates.

  • Private schools that offer a fully online, self-paced education program and meet accreditation criteria can be exempt from state-mandated class sizes, instructional schedules, and student vaccination requirements if they are approved as Category III nonpublic schools.
  • The amendment specifies that these private schools must be accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission and regionally accredited by one of the designated Category III regional accrediting agencies.
  • The exact impact on public school resources or student health due to this exemption is not detailed in the amendment text.
  • It's unclear how many private schools will qualify for these exemptions under the new criteria.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 380

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2025, 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 380

  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. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 75, Nays 14, PNV 2

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0308)

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025

  15. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  16. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Calendar & Rules Committee to 4/17/2025

  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

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

  21. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  23. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 5

  25. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0131)

  26. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/25/2025

  27. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/25/2025

  28. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/20/2025

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  30. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0

  31. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/18/2025

  32. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  33. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/12/2025

  34. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/11/2025

  35. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  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. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law establishes the following requirements for schools:

(1) Class sizes are limited on a scale of averages and minimums w
ith the lowest being for kindergarten-3 and career and technical education at an average of 20 and a maximum of 25 students and the highest being for grades seven-12 at an average of 30 and a maximum of 35 students;

(2) There must be 180 days for classro
om instruction with 6.5 hours instructional time per such day;

(3) The commissioner of health is authorized to designate diseases against which children must be immunized prior to attendance at any school of this state; and

(4) Students in grades three
-11 must be annually administered a nationally standardized achievement test covering the areas of English language arts and math.

This bill specifies that the state board of education is prohibited from requiring compliance with (1)
–
(4) for a private
school that provides a fully online, self-paced educational program and that is regionally accredited by one of the Category III regional accrediting agencies identified in the state board's policies.

ON MARCH 20, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AN
D PASSED SENATE BILL 827, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:



Requires the fully online, self-paced education program offered by a private school to also be
accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission
.



Removes the provision prohibiting the state from requiring a private school described in the bill to a
dminister, at least once each school year, a nationally standardized achievement test covering the areas of English language arts and math to each student enrolled in the school in any of the grades 3-11.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 827
By Hensley

HOUSE BILL 1003
By Haston

HB1003
002787
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to nonpublic schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 50, Part 8, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
In order to operate in this state as an approved Category III nonpublic school, the
state board of education shall not require a private school that provides a fully online,
self-paced educational program and that is regionally accredited by one (1) of the
Category III regional accrediting agencies identified in the policies of the state board to:
(1) Comply with the class size requirements in § 49-1-104;
(2) Maintain an operating schedule that includes the minimum number of
instructional days or minimum number of instructional hours per school day
required of public schools in chapter 6, part 30 of this title;
(3) Comply with the requirements in § 49-6-5001 that each student
enrolled in the school be vaccinated against disease; or
(4) Administer, at least once each school year, a nationally standardized
achievement test covering the areas of English language arts and math to each
student enrolled in the school in any of the grades three through eleven (3-11).
SECTION 2. For purposes of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming a
law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2025, the
public welfare requiring it, and applies to the 2025-2026 school year and each school year
thereafter.