Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HB0971 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2		-	SENATE BILL 1221
3		-	By Oliver
	2	+	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
4	3
5	4		HOUSE BILL 971
6	5		By Parkinson
7	6
8	7
9	8		HB0971
10	9		003138
11	10		- 1 -
12	11
13	12		AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
14	13		relative to education.
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 6, Part 10, is amended by
18	17		adding the following as a new section:
19	18		(a) An LEA or public charter school may create a physical education through
20	19		community service program by partnering with a community organization to provide
21	20		students in grades nine through twelve (9-12) with the opportunity to earn one-half (1/2)
22	21		credit in physical education by completing yardwork projects for older persons and
23	22		persons with disabilities within the community served by the LEA or public charter
24	23		school. An LEA or public charter school may allow a student to participate in the
25	24		program for no more than one (1) class period per school day.
26	25		(b)
27	26		(1) In order to earn one-half (1/2) credit in physical education pursuant to
28	27		subsection (a), the number of yardwork hours completed by the student, which
29	28		must be overseen and documented by a community service partner, must be no
30	29		less than the number of instructional hours required for a student to receive one-
31	30		half (1/2) credit in a traditional physical education course, as determined by the
32	31		state board of education.
33	32		(2) One-half (1/2) credit in physical education earned by a student
34	33		pursuant to this section may be counted toward the graduation requirements
35	34		established by the state board pursuant to § 49-6-6001(a).
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37	36
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40	39		(c) An LEA or public charter school that creates a physical education through
41	40		community service program pursuant to this section shall:
42	41		(1) Notify students in grades nine through twelve (9-12) of the opportunity
43	42		to earn one-half (1/2) credit in physical education by completing yardwork
44	43		projects for older persons and persons with disabilities within the community
45	44		served by the LEA or public charter school;
46	45		(2) Ensure that the parent or guardian of a student seeking to participate
47	46		in the program has signed a written consent form authorizing their student to
48	47		participate in the program before the student participates in any yardwork
49	48		projects through, and for purposes of, the program;
50	49		(3) Ensure that students are supervised at all times while providing
51	50		yardwork services for older persons and persons with disabilities through the
52	51		LEA's or public charter school's program;
53	52		(4) Establish the parties responsible for transporting students to and from
54	53		the location at which students are providing yardwork services and notify parents
55	54		and guardians of the parties responsible for transporting their students; and
56	55		(5) Ensure that all community service partners who will have contact with
57	56		students or who will be working in close proximity to students through the
58	57		program submit to, and complete, an investigation under § 49-5-413.
59	58		(d) A community service organization that partners with an LEA or public charter
60	59		school for purposes of a physical education through community service program shall
61	60		maintain attendance records and records documenting the hours of yardwork services
62	61		completed by each participating student and make the records available to the LEA or
63	62		public charter school, as applicable.
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65	64
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67	66
68	67		(e) A community service organization that partners with an LEA or public charter
69	68		school for purposes of the LEA's or public charter school's physical education through
70	69		community service program assumes all liability for a student while the student providing
71	70		yardwork services in the community, but off the grounds of the student's school.
72	71		(f) The time within which a student leaves school in order to provide yardwork
73	72		services in the community for purposes of the program must align with the class
74	73		schedule adopted by the LEA or public charter school for the school day.
75	74		(g) A student who participates in the program must be credited with time spent in
76	75		the program in the same manner as if the student were attending school, and the time
77	76		spent in the program must be calculated as part of the school day.
78	77		(h) Each LEA and public charter school that creates a physical education
79	78		through community service program pursuant to this section shall annually:
80	79		(1) Collect surveys from students who participated in the program,
81	80		parents or guardians of students who participated in the program, community
82	81		service partners participating in the program, and the older persons or persons
83	82		with disabilities who received yardwork assistance through the program; and
84	83		(2) Submit a report to the department of education on:
85	84		(A) The number of students who participated in the program;
86	85		(B) Satisfaction of the program's participants as determined by
87	86		the surveys collected pursuant to subdivision (h)(1);
88	87		(C) The type, length, and complexity of the yardwork or
89	88		community service projects students completed through the program; and
90	89		(D) The outcomes of the program.
91	90		SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.