HB1758 • 2026

School Transportation

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49 and Title 55, relative to school transportation.

Education Healthcare

Active

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

Sponsor: Slater, Haile
Last action: 2026-03-19
Official status: Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the forms used by local boards of education for checking school bus driver health.

School Bus Driver Health Requirements

This bill changes how school bus drivers are checked for health and fitness to drive by allowing them to provide medical certificates instead of undergoing annual physical exams.

What This Bill Does

Allows school bus drivers to show a valid medical certificate issued by a certified medical examiner from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as an alternative to getting an annual physical exam.
Requires local boards of education to check if school bus drivers have the right medical certificates.

Who It Names or Affects

School bus drivers in Tennessee
Local boards of education

Terms To Know

Medical Certificate: A document from a doctor saying someone is healthy enough to do their job.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): The part of the U.S. government that sets rules for truck and bus drivers' health.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear when this bill will become a law.
This summary only covers parts of the bill related to school bus driver health checks.

Amendments

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

HA0632

Amendment 1-0 to HB1758

Plain English: This amendment changes how school bus drivers are required to prove their physical and mental fitness for driving.

School bus drivers must now either get an annual physical and mental examination from their local board of education or provide a valid medical certificate issued by a certified federal examiner.

The amendment does not specify what happens if a driver fails the required examination or certification process.

SA0605

Amendment 1-0 to SB1758

Plain English: This amendment changes how school bus drivers are required to prove their physical and mental fitness for driving.

School bus drivers must now either get an annual physical and mental examination from their local board of education or provide a valid medical certificate issued by a certified federal examiner.

The amendment does not specify what happens if a driver fails the required examination or certification process.

Bill History

2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Governor returned.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Recalled from S.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate requested Governor to return
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 87, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0632)
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Reset on cal. for 3/19/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0605)
2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/3/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/4/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Education Committee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 9, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1758, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 revises the requirements of present law and this bill concerning examinations of school bus drivers. This amendment requires
THAT
the local board of education require each school bus driver to:

(1) Annually submit to a physical and mental examination, the results of which must be documented on forms prescribed by the local board; or

(2) Annually provide to the local board a valid medical certificate issued to the driver certifying the driver as medically qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle pursuant to applicable federal regulations by a certified medical examiner listed
on the national registry of certified medical examiners established by the federal motor carrier safety administrator.

ON APRIL 2, 2026, THE HOUSE REQUESTED THAT THE SENATE RETURN SENATE BILL 1758.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1758
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 1758
By Slater
HB1758
010855
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49
and Title 55, relative to school transportation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2108, is amended by deleting
subsection (a) and substituting instead the following:
(a)
(1) The local board of education shall require each school bus driver to:
(A) Annually submit to a physical and mental examination; or
(B) Annually verify that the school bus driver possesses a valid
certificate issued by a medical examiner certified by the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration within the United States department of
transportation who is listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical
Examiners signifying that the school bus driver is medically qualified to
operate a commercial motor vehicle pursuant to 49 C.F.R. Part 391.
(2)
(A) The local board shall require the results of a physical and
mental examination of a school bus driver conducted for purposes of
subdivision (a)(1)(A) be made on forms prescribed by the local board.
(B) The local board may rely upon records maintained by the
department of safety to confirm a school bus driver's compliance with the
requirements in subdivision (a)(1)(B).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.