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HB1818 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49; Title 55, Chapter 4; Title 55, Chapter 50 and Title 55, Chapter 8, relative to school transportation.

Children Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Russell, Bowling
Last action
2026-04-09
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary and text do not provide specific details on funding or cost implications for school boards beyond stating that additional transportation costs cannot be quantified with certainty.

School Transportation for Students

This bill requires school boards to provide transportation services to students who live more than 1.5 miles from their assigned schools if they have contracts with companies providing such services.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that school boards must offer bus or other transportation services to all students living over 1.5 miles away from their school by the nearest route, but only if a board of education has contracted for transportation services.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students who live more than 1.5 miles from their assigned schools
  • School boards that have transportation service contracts

Terms To Know

Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
School districts or other organizations responsible for providing public education.
Accessible Route
The shortest and safest way to travel from a student's home to their school.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear how much extra money will be needed because each district has different transportation needs.
  • School boards must decide if they want to contract with companies for transportation services.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1818

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to require local school boards to provide transportation for students living more than one and a half miles from their assigned schools if they already offer such services.

  • Adds new subdivision (2) to Section 49-6-2101(a), requiring boards of education to provide transportation for children who live over one and a half miles away from their school, unless road conditions or the location makes it impossible.
  • Adds new subdivision (2) to Section 49-6-2101(b), stating that if transportation is provided under existing rules, then all students living less than one and a half miles must also receive transportation, with exceptions for road conditions or remoteness.
  • The amendment text does not specify how the new requirements will be funded or enforced.
  • It's unclear if there are any existing rules that would conflict with these new provisions.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1896

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to require local education agencies to provide school transportation for students living more than one and a half miles from their assigned schools if they already offer such services.

  • Adds new subdivision (2) to Section 49-6-2101(a), requiring boards of education that provide school transportation to extend it to all children who live over one and a half miles away, unless road conditions or the child's remote location prevents it.
  • Adds new subdivision (2) to Section 49-6-2101(b), stating that if a board provides school transportation for students living less than one and a half miles from their schools, they must also provide it for those who live more than one and a half miles away under the same conditions.
  • The amendment does not specify how local education agencies will fund or implement these changes.
  • It is unclear what specific road conditions or remoteness criteria would exempt children from receiving transportation services.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee / Behind Budget

  3. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/31/2026

  4. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  5. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  6. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/11/2026

  7. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  8. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Education Committee

  9. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  10. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  11. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/4/2026

  12. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/3/2026

  13. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/17/2026

  15. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee to 2/17/2026

  16. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/10/2026

  17. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  18. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  19. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  20. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  21. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  22. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  23. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1896
By Bowling

HOUSE BILL 1818
By Russell
HB1818
009084
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49;
Title 55, Chapter 4; Title 55, Chapter 50 and Title
55, Chapter 8, relative to school transportation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2101(a), is amended by
redesignating the subsection as subdivision (a)(1) and adding the following as a new
subdivision:
(2) If a board of education contracts for transportation services with persons
owning equipment pursuant to subsection (d), then the board of education shall provide
school transportation facilities to all students who live more than one and one-half (1 1/2)
miles by the nearest accessible route from the school to which they are assigned by the
board of education and in which they are enrolled.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.