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SB1409 • 2026

Lottery, Scholarships and Programs

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 4, relative to financial aid.

Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Hensley, Hale
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the funding amount or student limits, which are mentioned in the candidate explanation.

Expanding Dual Enrollment Grants

This bill changes Tennessee's law to allow sophomores in high school who are accepted into a dual enrollment program at an eligible postsecondary institution to receive financial aid grants.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the eligibility requirements for dual enrollment grants to include sophomores in high school.
  • Updates Tennessee's laws about financial aid to reflect this change.

Who It Names or Affects

  • High school sophomores who are accepted into a dual enrollment program at a postsecondary institution.
  • Postsecondary institutions that offer dual enrollment programs.
  • The state of Tennessee, which provides the grants.

Terms To Know

Dual Enrollment
A program where high school students can take college courses and earn both high school and college credits at the same time.
Postsecondary Institution
An educational institution that offers programs beyond high school, such as colleges or universities.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much funding will be available for these grants.
  • It is unclear if there are any limits on the number of students who can receive these grants.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to SB1409

Plain English: The amendment changes when a new law about financial aid will start working.

  • Changes the effective date of the bill from its original unspecified date to July 1, 2026.
  • The original text does not specify an initial effective date for the bill, so it's unclear what the previous plan was.
  • The amendment only specifies when the act will take effect but doesn't provide details about why July 1, 2026 is chosen.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/20/2026

  3. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Higher Education Subcommittee of Education Committee

  4. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  5. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  6. 2026-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/4/2026

  7. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 1/28/2026

  8. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Higher Education Subcommittee to the Lottery Calendar

  9. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 1/21/2026

  10. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee

  11. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Higher Education Subcommittee to the Lottery Calendar

  12. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  15. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-02-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  18. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Higher Education Subcommittee

  19. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  20. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  21. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  23. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  24. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  25. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  26. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1121
By Sherrell

SENATE BILL 1409
By Hensley

SB1409
003296
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 4, relative to financial aid.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-930(c)(2)(A), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(A) Is a sophomore, junior, or senior in high school; or
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.