KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

SB1042 • 2026

Driver Licenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 5-8-102; Title 49 and Title 55, relative to school bus transportation.

Education
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Bowling, Sparks
Last action
2025-03-19
Official status
Failed in Senate Transportation and Safety Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information on whether it removes specific parts of the law or if there were additional rules about school bus endorsements. The official source only mentions lowering the age requirement and amending certain sections without specifying removal of existing rules.

Lowering Age Requirement for School Bus Endorsements

This bill changes Tennessee law to allow people who are at least 21 years old to get a school bus endorsement on their driver's license, instead of waiting until they are 25.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the age requirement for getting a school bus endorsement from 25 to 21.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to drive a school bus and are at least 21 years old but younger than 25.
  • School districts that hire drivers for their buses.

Terms To Know

school bus endorsement
A special part of a driver's license that lets someone drive a school bus.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was stopped in the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee.
  • It is unclear how many people will apply for endorsements when the age limit changes.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0084

Plain English: The amendment changes the age requirement for certain driver's license applications in Tennessee from an unspecified age to at least twenty-three years old and removes a specific subsection related to driver’s licenses.

  • Changes the minimum age requirement for obtaining a driver's license under Section 55-50-302(d) of the Tennessee Code Annotated to be at least twenty-three (23) years old.
  • Removes subsection (e) from Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-302.
  • The amendment text does not specify what the previous age requirement was before changing it to at least twenty-three years of age.
  • It is unclear what content or regulations were removed with subsection (e).
Amendment 1-0 to SB1042

Plain English: The amendment changes the age requirement for certain driver's license applications and removes a specific subsection of the Tennessee Code.

  • Changes the minimum age to apply for a commercial driver’s license from an unspecified age to twenty-three (23) years old.
  • Removes subsection (e) from Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-302.
  • The amendment text does not specify the previous minimum age requirement for commercial driver’s licenses, only that it is being changed to twenty-three years old.
  • It's unclear what information or requirements were contained in the removed subsection (e).

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  2. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Held on desk.

  3. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  5. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 3/24/2025

  6. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on cal. for 3/24/2025

  7. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/17/2025

  8. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  9. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/13/2025

  10. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  11. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Transportation Committee to 3/11/2025

  14. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/4/2025

  15. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/25/2025

  18. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Transportation Subcommittee to 2/25/2025

  19. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  20. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/18/2025

  21. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  22. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  23. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  24. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Transportation Committee

  25. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  26. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  27. 2025-01-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 84
By Sparks

SENATE BILL 1042
By Bowling

SB1042
001236
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 5-
8-102; Title 49 and Title 55, relative to school bus
transportation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-302(d), is amended by
deleting subdivision (1) and substituting:
(1) The applicant is at least twenty-one (21) years of age;
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-302, is amended by deleting
subsection (e).
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.