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SB1121 • 2026

Schools, Charter

AN ACT to amend Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8 and Title 49, relative to education.

Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Lamar, Johnson
Last action
2025-02-12
Official status
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the exact sections removed or their impact on current operations, leading to some uncertainty in the candidate explanation.

Updating Laws About Charter Schools

This bill removes outdated rules about charter schools in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes old language that no longer applies to how the state board of education handles public charter schools.
  • Changes when and how a charter school can ask for changes or end its agreement with the authorizer.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Charter schools in Tennessee
  • The state board of education

Terms To Know

Authorizer
An organization or agency that approves and monitors charter schools.
Public Charter School
A public school that operates under a contract called a charter, which gives it more flexibility than traditional public schools.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify new rules for charter schools; it only removes old ones.
  • It is unclear how many existing charter schools will be directly affected by these changes.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  2. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  3. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  4. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  5. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  6. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1221
By Johnson

SENATE BILL 1121
By Lamar

SB1121
003145
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025
(1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and
Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8 and Title 49,
relative to education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-104(4), is amended by
deleting subdivision (B).
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-110(d), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(d) The governing body of the public charter school may petition the authorizer
to amend the original charter agreement. Beginning July 1, 2021, the commission shall
determine the timelines for approval and the appeal process. If the authorizer is the
commission, then an appeal shall not be made of the commission's decision to deny a
petition to amend the charter agreement. The governing body of a public charter school
may petition the authorizer for voluntary termination of the charter agreement before the
charter agreement expires.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-142, is amended by deleting
subsections (a)-(g) and (i).
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.