Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HB0355 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2		-	SENATE BILL 690
3		-	By White
	2	+	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
4	3
5	4		HOUSE BILL 355
6	5		By Powers
7	6
8	7
9	8		HB0355
10	9		000935
11	10		- 1 -
12	11
13	12		AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
14	13		relative to virtual school students.
15	14
16	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
17	16		SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 16, Part 2, is amended by
18	17		adding the following as a new section:
19	18		(a) If a public school established under the jurisdiction of an LEA is a member of
20	19		an organization or an association that regulates interscholastic athletic competition, and
21	20		if such organization or association establishes or maintains eligibility requirements for
22	21		virtual school students to participate in interscholastic athletics at a member school, then
23	22		the LEA shall permit participation in interscholastic athletics at the member schools by a
24	23		virtual school student who satisfies the eligibility requirements established by the
25	24		organization or association.
26	25		(b) If a public school established under the jurisdiction of an LEA offers students
27	26		the opportunity to participate in interscholastic athletic competition without the school
28	27		being a member of an organization or an association that regulates interscholastic
29	28		athletic competition, then the LEA shall permit participation in interscholastic athletics at
30	29		such school by a virtual school student who is zoned and is otherwise eligible to attend
31	30		the school.
32	31		(c) This section does not guarantee that a virtual school student trying out for an
33	32		interscholastic athletics team will make the team, nor does it supplant the authority of
34	33		coaches or other school officials in deciding who makes the team. This section is
35	34		intended to guarantee only that the virtual school student is not prohibited from trying out
	35	+	for an interscholastic athletics team, if the student is otherwise eligible to participate
36	36
37	37
38	38		- 2 - 000935
39	39
40		-	for an interscholastic athletics team, if the student is otherwise eligible to participate
41	40		under the rules of the organization or association, solely by reason of the student's
42	41		status as a virtual school student.
43	42		(d) This section must not be construed to limit or supplant the authority of the
44	43		organization or association to determine eligibility and to establish, modify, and enforce
45	44		its rules and eligibility requirements, including those applicable to virtual school students.
46	45		SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.