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SB1896 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49; Title 55, Chapter 4; Title 55, Chapter 50 and Title 55, Chapter 8, relative to school transportation.

Children Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Bowling, Russell
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 details on how the bill ensures that all eligible students receive transportation services regardless of their location within the district.

School Transportation for Students

This bill requires school boards to provide transportation services to students who live more than 1.5 miles from their assigned schools if the board has a contract with someone providing such services.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that school boards must offer bus rides or other forms of transportation to students living over 1.5 miles away from their school, but only if the board has a contract for these services.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students living more than 1.5 miles from their assigned schools
  • School boards that have contracts with transportation providers

Terms To Know

Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
School districts or other organizations responsible for providing public education in a specific area.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear how much extra money this will cost local governments because it depends on each district’s specific situation.
  • The bill does not specify who will pay for the increased transportation costs.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1818

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to require school boards to provide transportation for students living more than one and a half miles from their assigned school if they already offer such services.

  • Adds new subdivision (2) to Section 49-6-2101(a), requiring boards of education to provide transportation for children who live over one and a half miles away from their assigned school, unless road conditions or the location makes it impossible.
  • Adds new subdivision (2) to Section 49-6-2101(b), stating that if a board provides transportation services, they must offer them to all students living less than one and a half miles from their school under similar exceptions.
  • The amendment text does not specify how the new requirements will be funded or enforced.
  • It is unclear what constitutes 'remoteness of the child's residence' in practical terms.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1896

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to require school boards to provide transportation for students living more than one and a half miles from their assigned schools if they already offer such services.

  • Adds new subdivision (2) to Section 49-6-2101(a), requiring boards of education to provide transportation for children who live over one and a half miles away from their school, unless road conditions or the location makes it impossible.
  • Adds new subdivision (2) to Section 49-6-2101(b), stating that if transportation is provided under existing rules, then all students living less than one and a half miles must also receive transportation, with exceptions for road conditions or remoteness.
  • The amendment text does not specify how the new requirements will be funded or enforced.
  • It's unclear what 'remoteness of the child's residence' means in practice and how it would be determined.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  2. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee / Behind Budget

  4. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/31/2026

  5. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  7. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/11/2026

  8. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Education Committee

  9. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  10. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  11. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  12. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/4/2026

  13. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/3/2026

  14. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/17/2026

  16. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee to 2/17/2026

  17. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/10/2026

  18. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  19. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  20. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  21. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  22. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  23. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  24. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1818
By Russell

SENATE BILL 1896
By Bowling
SB1896
009084
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49;
Title 55, Chapter 4; Title 55, Chapter 50 and Title
55, Chapter 8, relative to school transportation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2101(a), is amended by
redesignating the subsection as subdivision (a)(1) and adding the following as a new
subdivision:
(2) If a board of education contracts for transportation services with persons
owning equipment pursuant to subsection (d), then the board of education shall provide
school transportation facilities to all students who live more than one and one-half (1 1/2)
miles by the nearest accessible route from the school to which they are assigned by the
board of education and in which they are enrolled.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.