Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HB1162 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	SENATE BILL 1020
3	3	By White
4	4
5	5	HOUSE BILL 1162
6	6	By Stevens
7	7
8	8
9	9	HB1162
10	10	003166
11	11	- 1 -
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13	13	AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
14	14	relative to public charter schools.
15	15
16	16	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
17	17	SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-140, is amended by adding the
18	18	following as a new subsection:
19	19	(h) A public charter school, as defined in § 49-13-104, that is authorized by a
20	20	county LEA may operate within the geographic boundaries of a municipal LEA pursuant
21	21	to § 49-13-137. Subsections (c)-(g) do not apply to a public charter school that is
22	22	authorized by a county LEA and that is operating within the geographic boundaries of a
23	23	municipal LEA pursuant to § 49-13-137.
24	24	SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-105(a), is amended by
25	25	deleting the third sentence of the subsection and substituting instead the following:
26	26	Except as provided in § 49-13-137, a public charter school that is authorized by
27	27	the commission must operate within the geographic boundaries of the local board
28	28	of education that denied approval of the initial public charter school application.
29	29	SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-113(c), is amended by adding
30	30	the language "pursuant to its charter agreement, but not pursuant to § 49-13-137," after the
31	31	language "is located" wherever it appears in the subsection.
32	32	SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-113(b), is amended by
33	33	deleting the subsection and substituting instead the following:
34	34	(b)
35	35
36	36
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39	39	(1) A public charter school authorized by the commission is open to
40	40	students residing within the geographic boundaries of the LEA in which the public
41	41	charter school is authorized to locate in its charter agreement.
42	42	(2) A public charter school that operates, pursuant to § 49-13-137,
43	43	outside the geographic boundaries of the LEA in which the public charter school
44	44	is authorized to locate in its charter agreement is not open to students residing
45	45	within the geographic boundaries of the LEA in which the public charter school is
46	46	operating pursuant to § 49-13-137, unless the LEA in which the public charter
47	47	school is authorized to locate in its charter agreement has a policy allowing out-
48	48	of-district enrollment.
49	49	SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-113(d)(4)(E), is amended by
50	50	deleting "of the LEA in which the public charter school is located" and substituting instead "of
51	51	the LEA in which the public charter school is authorized to locate in its charter agreement".
52	52	SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-113(e), is amended by
53	53	designating the existing language as subdivision (1) and adding the following as a new
54	54	subdivision:
55	55	(2) Subdivision (e)(1) does not allow a public charter school authorized by the
56	56	ASD to enroll additional students residing within the geographic boundaries of an LEA in
57	57	which the public charter school is operating pursuant to § 49-13-137.
58	58	SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-136(c), is amended by adding
59	59	the following as a new subdivision:
60	60	(7) An LEA in which one (1) or more public charter schools operate, but only
61	61	pursuant to § 49-13-137, is not required to comply with the requirements of this
62	62	subsection (c). This subsection (c) only applies to an LEA in which one (1) or more
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64	64
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67	67	public charter schools operate pursuant to a charter agreement that authorizes the
68	68	public charter school to locate within the geographic boundaries of that LEA.
69	69	SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 13, is amended by adding
70	70	the following as a new section:
71	71	49-13-137. Limited operation outside the geographic boundaries of the LEA.
72	72	A public charter school may operate outside the geographic boundaries of the
73	73	LEA in which the public charter school is authorized to locate in its charter agreement, if:
74	74	(1) The public charter school needs additional space, facilities, or
75	75	buildings to serve the students of the public charter school; and
76	76	(2) The public charter school enters into a written agreement for the
77	77	lease of buildings or facilities, or portions thereof, that are located in the same
78	78	county as the LEA in which the public charter school is authorized to locate in its
79	79	charter agreement; provided, that the buildings or facilities, or portions thereof,
80	80	leased by the public charter school are used for educational purposes.
81	81	SECTION 9. The heading in this act is for reference purposes only and does not
82	82	constitute a part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is
83	83	requested to include the heading in any compilation or publication containing this act.
84	84	SECTION 10. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it,
85	85	and applies to the 2025-2026 school year and each school year thereafter.