House Bill 1740 amends the Tennessee Code Annotated regarding the Individualized Education Act, specifically focusing on the definitions and eligibility criteria for students with disabilities. The bill redefines "eligible student" to include those with specific disabilities as outlined by the state board of education, who have an active individualized education program (IEP), and meet certain enrollment criteria. Additionally, it introduces a new category for students with medical conditions that prevent them from attending school in person. The definition of "participating school" is also updated to include nonpublic schools and home schools for eligible students with medical conditions.

Furthermore, the bill establishes new requirements for parents of eligible students, mandating that funds from individualized education accounts (IEAs) be used only for approved expenses. It also requires the department to monitor these funds to ensure compliance and grants the department the authority to suspend or terminate a student's participation in the program if the parent fails to comply with the regulations. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-10-1402(3), 49-10-1402, 49-10-1402(6), 49-10-1404, 49-10-1403(d), 49-10-1403, 49-10-1405(a)(7), 49-10-1405