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SB1018 • 2026

Schools, Charter

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 13 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to public charter schools.

Education
Active

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

Sponsor
White, Stevens
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/05/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not explicitly state that it ensures students are not treated as out-of-district students. This claim was removed due to lack of supporting evidence.

Prohibition on Certain Fees for Charter School Transfers

This bill prohibits county education agencies and public charter schools from charging registration, enrollment, or tuition fees to students who transfer between different local education agencies within the same county.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits a county LEA or public charter school authorized to operate in a county LEA from charging registration fees, enrollment fees, or tuition for a student who resides in the county and transfers to a public charter school from another LEA located in the same county.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools in Tennessee.
  • Students transferring between different local education agencies within the same county.

Terms To Know

Local Education Agency (LEA)
An administrative unit responsible for providing educational services within a defined area, such as a school district or county.
Public Charter School
A public school that operates independently of the traditional school system under a charter agreement with an authorizing agency.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not address fees for students transferring from outside the county.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect existing agreements between LEAs and charter schools.
  • The effective date of May 5, 2025, means there may be a transition period before these changes take full effect.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0997

Plain English: The amendment changes how students transferring between local education agencies (LEAs) within the same county are treated for enrollment purposes at public charter schools.

  • Public charter schools and county LEAs cannot charge registration, enrollment, or tuition fees to in-county students who transfer from another LEA located in the same county.
  • Students transferring between LEAs within the same county will not be considered out-of-district for enrolling in a public charter school.
  • The amendment text does not specify if there are exceptions or conditions to these changes, such as for specific types of fees or under certain circumstances.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1018

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee's laws about public charter schools by adding rules that prevent these schools from charging fees or tuition to students who move from another school in the same county.

  • Adds new language to Section 49-13-106(e) of Tennessee Code Annotated, stating that a public charter school cannot charge registration, enrollment, or tuition fees for students transferring from another local education agency (LEA) within the same county.
  • Modifies Section 49-13-113(c)(3) to include similar language, ensuring no fees are charged under this section as well.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if a student transfers from outside the same county or details about exceptions that might exist.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2025

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 388

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 388

  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. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 31, Nays 1 (Amendment 1 - HA0304)

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/17/2025

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 74, Nays 20, PNV 0

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0304)

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  15. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  16. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  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

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

  21. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/25/2025

  23. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/18/2025

  24. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/18/2025

  25. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  27. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 29, Nays 0

  29. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0026)

  30. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025

  31. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/6/2025

  32. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/26/2025

  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

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 6, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1018, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT
#1 applies the same prohibition against charging such fees to the authorizing county LEA.

ON APRIL 16, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 1018 FOR HOUSE BILL 997, ADOPTED AMENDMENT 1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1018, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites
the bill to, instead, make the following revisions to present law:



Prohibits a county LEA or public charter school authorized to operate in a county LEA from charging registration fees, enrollment fees, or tuition for a student who resides in the county and who transfers to a public charter school authorized to operate in the county LEA from another LEA located in the same county.



Prohibits a student who resides in a county in which more than one LEA operates from being considered an out-of-district student for purposes of enrollment in a public charter school authorized to operate in the county LEA if the student transfers to the public charter school from another LEA located in the same county.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 997
By Stevens

SENATE BILL 1018
By White

SB1018
001818
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 13 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to
public charter schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-106(e), is amended by
deleting the language "§ 49-13-113(b)" and substituting instead the language "§ 49-13-113" and
by adding the following as a new subdivision:
(3) Subdivision (e)(1) does not allow a public charter school authorized in its
charter agreement to locate in a county LEA to charge a student who resides in the
county any registration fees, enrollment fees, or tuition if the student transfers to the
public charter school from another LEA located in the same county.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-113(c)(3), is amended by
adding the following language at the end of the subdivision:
This subdivision (c)(3) does not allow a public charter school authorized in its
charter agreement to locate in a county LEA to charge a student who resides in
the county any registration fees, enrollment fees, or tuition if the student transfers
to the public charter school from another LEA located in the same county.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.