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HB1856 • 2026

School Transportation

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

Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Rudd, Lowe
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 656
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on enforcement or penalties for non-compliance with the new requirements.

School Bus Usage and Inspection Requirements

This bill extends the operational life of school buses used exclusively for transporting students to after-school programs and mandates regular inspections for older buses.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows a conventional or Class D school bus that is used exclusively to transport students from school to an after-school program to be used until it reaches either 20 years since its in-service date or has traveled 300,000 miles, whichever comes later.
  • Requires the owner of such a bus to discontinue use or replace the bus at the end of the school year if it meets either limit.
  • Removes the time limitation for inspecting buses that are more than 15 years old but less than 18 years from their in-service date, requiring these buses to be inspected twice annually without any age restriction.

Who It Names or Affects

  • School bus owners and operators
  • Students who use school buses for after-school programs

Terms To Know

conventional or Class D school bus
A regular type of school bus used to transport students.
in-service date
The date when a bus starts being used for its intended purpose, like transporting students.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify the consequences if an owner fails to comply with inspection requirements or replaces old buses.
  • It is unclear how these changes will impact the overall safety and maintenance of school buses beyond what is specified in the bill.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1856

Plain English: The amendment allows school buses used exclusively for transporting students to after-school programs to be kept in service longer than usual under certain conditions.

  • School buses that are only used to take students from school to after-school programs can now stay in use until they reach the later of twenty years or three hundred thousand miles, as long as they meet safety requirements and get inspected twice a year if over fifteen years old.
  • The exact impact on school districts' budgets and bus maintenance schedules is not specified.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1951

Plain English: The amendment allows school buses used exclusively for transporting students to after-school programs to be kept in service longer under certain conditions.

  • School buses that are only used to transport students to after-school programs can now stay in use until they reach the later of twenty years or three hundred thousand miles, as long as they meet safety requirements and get inspected twice a year if over fifteen years old.
  • The exact impact on school districts' budgets and bus maintenance schedules is not specified.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 656

  2. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/13/2026

  3. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 656

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Returned by Governor without signature.

  5. 2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  11. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 1

  12. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0647)

  13. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026

  15. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026

  16. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/10/2026

  19. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  21. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  22. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0541)

  23. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/2/2026

  24. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/3/2026

  25. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/25/2026

  28. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 2/25/2026

  29. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/18/2026

  30. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  31. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee

  32. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  33. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  34. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  35. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  36. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 2, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1951, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:



Restores the present law that requires

the commissioner or the commissioner's designee to inspect at least twice annually any
conventional or Class D bus that is in use for more than
15
years from its in-service date

but not more than
18
years from such date
.



Adds that a school bus as described in the bill and in use for
more than
15
years from its in-service date must
also be
inspected by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee at least twice annually
, without the 18-year limitation described above.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1951
By Lowe

HOUSE BILL 1856
By Rudd
HB1856
011150
- 1 -

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

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2109(b), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(11) Notwithstanding subdivisions (b)(1) and (b)(2), a conventional or Class D
school bus that is used exclusively to transport students from school to an after-school
program may be used until the bus reaches the twentieth year from the in-service date of
the bus, or until the bus accumulates three hundred thousand (300,000) miles of
recorded travel, whichever occurs later. After the bus reaches the later of twenty (20)
years of service or three hundred thousand (300,000) miles of recorded travel, the owner
of the bus may continue to operate the bus throughout the remainder of the school year,
but at the conclusion of the school year the owner must discontinue use of, or replace,
the bus. The bus must meet all requirements for its continued safe use and operation
during the remainder of the school year, and the owner of the bus shall notify the
department of safety in writing, via certified mail, that the bus has reached twenty (20)
years of service or three hundred thousand (300,000) miles of recorded travel.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2109(b)(4), is amended by
deleting ", but not more than eighteen (18) years from such date,".
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.