Tennessee House Bill HB1052

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Refer: 2/10/25
• Failed: 2/10/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to students participating in a school choice program.

Summary

HB1052 would require the Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) in the Tennessee Comptroller’s office to produce an annual report on the state’s school choice program. The report must include the number of program recipients, how many have participated for two or more school years, how many were enrolled in a Tennessee public school the prior year, and how many were newly eligible to enroll in a public K-12 school for the first time. The report is due to the General Assembly by October 30, 2025, and every October 30 thereafter. The bill amends the 2025 public act establishing or modifying the school choice program and references Tennessee education statutes governing K-12 education and school choice. It does not change eligibility rules or funding levels directly; instead, it adds a recurring legislative oversight and data-reporting requirement intended to track participation patterns in the program over time.

Impact

HB1052 would add a new annual reporting mandate to Tennessee’s school choice framework, placing responsibility on OREA to collect and present participation data to lawmakers. The practical effect is to increase transparency and legislative oversight of the program, while leaving the underlying student eligibility and program structure unchanged. It would affect the Comptroller’s office, OREA, the General Assembly, and families participating in the school choice program by requiring the state to track and disclose enrollment trends.

Sentiment

The available vote history suggests limited support in committee, as the bill failed in the House K-12 Subcommittee by a 2-5 vote. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded debate to indicate broader support or opposition arguments. Based on the bill’s narrow scope, the measure appears to have been framed as an accountability and information-gathering proposal rather than a major policy change.

Contention

The main point of contention appears to be whether the state should impose additional reporting requirements on the school choice program and whether such oversight is necessary or desirable. Supporters would likely view the bill as a transparency measure that helps lawmakers monitor who is using the program and whether it is serving students as intended. Opponents may have viewed it as an unnecessary administrative layer or as part of a broader debate over school choice itself, but no transcript is available to confirm specific arguments or sponsors of those positions.