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SB0016 • 2026

Education

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to interscholastic athletics.

Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Lowe, Cepicky
Last action
2026-03-16
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included terms and concepts like 'public charter school' which are not directly supported in the official source material.

Tennessee Interscholastic Athletics Rules

This bill changes rules for interscholastic athletics in Tennessee to allow certain students who transfer schools due to specific needs to immediately join sports teams.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires public schools not to use public money to join or stay in an association that doesn't let a student play sports right away after transferring once because of academic, social-emotional, environmental, or mental health reasons.
  • Allows middle and high school students who transfer during the summer between grades six through eight or nine through twelve for significant needs to immediately join sports teams at their new schools.
  • Does not apply if a student transfers more than once or during the school year, or if they are already ineligible for other reasons.
  • Gives associations that regulate interscholastic athletics the power to set rules and procedures about eligibility without creating legal rights for students to sue.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public schools in Tennessee
  • Students who transfer between member schools due to significant needs

Terms To Know

interscholastic athletics
Sports competitions between different schools.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much it will cost if associations need to change their rules or create new ones.
  • It's unclear what exact changes associations might make in response to this law.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0025

Plain English: The amendment changes rules for public schools joining sports associations to ensure students can play sports right away if they move due to certain needs, unless the transfer is for athletic or disciplinary reasons.

  • Public schools must not use taxpayer money to join a sports association that doesn't let new students who moved because of academic, social-emotional, environmental, or mental health issues immediately join school sports teams.
  • If a student moves before the start of the school year and their previous school does not say they left for athletic or disciplinary reasons within 7 days, the new school must allow them to play sports right away.
  • The amendment text is complex and includes legal terms that might be hard to understand fully without additional context.
  • It's unclear how this will affect schools' decisions about joining certain associations or handling student transfers.
Amendment 2-0 to HB0025

Plain English: The amendment removes a specific section of Tennessee law related to interscholastic athletics.

  • Removes § 49-2-901 from the bill.
  • The exact content and impact of removing this section are not detailed in the amendment text, making it unclear what specific changes will occur.
Amendment 3-0 to HB0025

Plain English: The amendment changes rules for student eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics after transferring between schools.

  • A middle or high school student who transfers during summer break and has not transferred before is immediately eligible to play sports at the new school.
  • Transfers that happen during the school year do not allow immediate athletic participation, nor does a second transfer within the same grade levels.
  • Public schools must join interscholastic athletics associations that follow open meetings laws unless discussing confidential student information.
  • The amendment text is complex and includes many specific legal details which are not fully explained here.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0016

Plain English: This amendment changes Tennessee law to require school associations regulating interscholastic athletics to allow immediate eligibility for student athletes who transfer schools due to significant personal needs.

  • Public schools in Tennessee will not be allowed to use public funds to join or maintain membership in athletic associations unless those associations permit new students transferring from another member school, due to specific non-athletic reasons like academic issues or mental health concerns, to immediately participate in interscholastic athletics.
  • The sending school must confirm within seven days that the transfer is not related to disciplinary actions or sports.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if a public school violates this rule by joining an association that doesn't comply with these requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

  2. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 533

  3. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 533

  4. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  10. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 30, Nays 2 (Amendment 3 - HA0543)

  12. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 30, Nays 2 (Amendment 1 - HA0299)

  13. 2026-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 2/9/2026

  14. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 83, Nays 10, PNV 0

  15. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 3 - HA0543)

  16. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/4/2026

  17. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on first calendar for February 2026

  18. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0299)

  19. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  20. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  21. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  22. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 4/17/2025

  23. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on next avail. cal.

  24. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  29. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 25, Nays 4

  30. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0269)

  31. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/7/2025

  32. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  33. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/7/2025

  34. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/3/2025

  36. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 6, Nays 3 PNV 0

  37. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  38. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  39. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  40. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/26/2025

  41. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  42. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  43. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  44. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/19/2025

  45. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  46. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  47. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  48. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  49. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Education Committee

  50. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  51. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  52. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  53. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  54. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  55. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  56. 2025-01-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  57. 2024-12-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  58. 2024-12-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  59. 2024-12-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 7, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 16, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, prohibit a public school from using public funds to join, become members of, or maintain membership in an association that regulates interscholastic athletics unless the association allows a high school student
who transfers for the first time to another member school and the transfer is due to a significant academic, social-emotional, environmental, or mental health need to be immediately eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics at the member schoo
l
to which the student transfers, as long as the sending member school does not attest within seven days that the student's transfer is due to athletic or disciplinary reasons.

ON APRIL 17, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 16 FOR HOUSE BILL 25, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND RESET SENATE BILL 16, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 purports to delete and replace two sections of the introduced bill that were removed by Senate Amendment #1.

ON FEBRUARY 4, 2026, THE HOUSE FURTHER CONSIDERED SENATE BILL 16, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #3, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 16, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #3 rewrites this bill to generally provide that a middle school student or high school student who transfers from one member school to another is immediately eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics at the member school to which the
student transfers if:

(1) The transfer is the student's first transfer in grades six through eight or nine through 12, as applicable; and

(2) The transfer occurs in the summer between the end of one school year and the beginning of the ensuing school year.

The immediate eligibility provided in this amendment does not apply to transfers:

(1) That occur during the school year or to a second or subsequent transfer at the middle or high school level; and

(2) By a student who is ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics by virtue of another rule or policy of the school or of the interscholastic athletic association with which the school is a member or otherwise affiliated that establishes el
igibility rules for athletic activities.

This amendment specifies that it does not prohibit an interscholastic athletic association from:

(1)
Determining the content, scope, and requirements of any rule or policy adopted by the association for purposes of implementing the immediate eligibility requirement; and

(2) Establishing standards, requirements, and procedures for determining a student's eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics.

If an association that regulates interscholastic athletic competition among member schools maintains its principal office in this state, then this amendment establishes the venue for any civil action challenging an eligibility decision made by that assoc
iation in the circuit or chancery court of the county in which the association's principal office is located. This amendment specifies that it does not create a private right of action against an association.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 25
By Cepicky

SENATE BILL 16
By Lowe

SB0016
000159
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to interscholastic athletics.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 2, is amended by adding
the following as a new part:
49-2-901.
A public school shall not use public funds to join, become members of, or
maintain membership in an association that regulates interscholastic athletics if the
association prohibits a student from participating in an interscholastic athletic
competition due to the student transferring no more than once from a school at which the
student previously participated in an interscholastic athletic competition regulated by the
association. For purposes of this section, a transfer does not include completion of the
highest grade at the school.
49-2-902.
(a) Public schools, including public charter schools, shall not use public funds to
join, become members of, or maintain membership in an association that regulates
interscholastic athletics unless the association's governing board voluntarily complies
with the open meetings laws, compiled in title 8, chapter 44, part 1.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), an association that regulates interscholastic
athletics may conduct a closed meeting, or close a portion of an otherwise open
meeting, if confidential information protected by the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g), § 10-7-504, or any other relevant privacy law or

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privilege, must be discussed. No other business, other than the business to which the
confidential information relates, shall be addressed during such a closed meeting.
49-2-903.
(a)
(1) If a student is placed in foster care, as defined in § 37-1-102(b)(17),
and the student seeks to participate in interscholastic athletics, then the public
school or public charter school in which the student is enrolled shall notify an
association that regulates interscholastic athletics of the student's placement in
foster care, if failure to notify the association of the student's placement may
result in the student being deemed ineligible to participate in athletics for any
period of time.
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(1), a public school or public charter
school shall not notify an association that regulates interscholastic athletics of a
student's placement in foster care unless the school first obtains written consent
from the student's parent or legal guardian, or from the student if the student is
eighteen (18) years of age or older, prior to making the notification.
(3) A notification made pursuant to this subsection (a) must be made in
accordance with state law, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g), and other relevant privacy laws.
(b)
(1) By January 1, 2022, and by January 1 of each year thereafter, each
LEA and public charter school shall submit to the department of education
documentation of its compliance with this section in the manner prescribed by the
commissioner.

- 3 - 000159

(2) By January 31, 2022, and by January 31 each year thereafter, the
department shall submit a report to the education administration committee of the
house of representatives and the education committee of the senate
documenting each LEA's and public charter school's compliance with this
section.
49-2-904.
Any voluntary association that establishes and enforces bylaws or rules for
interscholastic sports competition for public secondary schools in this state shall be
subject to an annual audit by the comptroller of the treasury. At the discretion of the
comptroller of the treasury, the audit may be prepared by a certified public accountant, a
public accountant, or by the department of audit. The comptroller of the treasury may
accept the association's own audit prepared by a certified public accountant that has
been filed with the secretary of state to satisfy the requirements of this section. If the
association fails or refuses to have the audit prepared, then the comptroller of the
treasury may appoint a certified public accountant or public accountant or direct the
department to prepare the audit. The association shall bear the full costs of any audit
prepared.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-132, is amended by deleting the
section.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-136, is amended by deleting the
section.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-416, is amended by deleting the
section.
SECTION 5. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.