House Bill 1896, also known as Senate Bill 2449, amends Tennessee Code Annotated to establish new requirements for nonpublic schools regarding standardized testing. The bill designates existing language in Section 49-50-807 as subsection (a) and introduces a new subdivision (4), which mandates that nonpublic schools administer a nationally standardized achievement test in English language arts and mathematics to each student annually. Additionally, a new subsection (b) is added, specifying that Category III nonpublic schools serving students in grades nine through twelve must administer the same standardized test to students who are eighteen years old or younger and have completed either fifty percent or ninety percent of their high school program, with an exception for those completing the entire program within a twelve-month period.

The bill outlines that the new testing requirements will take effect upon becoming law for the purpose of rule promulgation, while all other provisions will be effective starting July 1, 2026, and will apply to the 2026-2027 school year and subsequent years. This legislation aims to enhance educational standards and accountability within nonpublic schools in Tennessee.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-50-807