Senate Bill 2598 amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to education freedom scholarships. Key changes include redefining "recipient" to specify that it refers to eligible students who enroll in private or out-of-district public schools and receive scholarships. The bill outlines the requirements for receiving a scholarship, which include submitting a completed application, ensuring compliance with compulsory school attendance laws, and not enrolling in a zoned public school during the scholarship year. Additionally, the scholarship amounts are clarified, with specific funding amounts for private and out-of-district public school enrollments.

The bill also introduces new accountability measures, requiring that recipients enrolled in out-of-district public schools be administered the same assessments as their public school peers. Schools that enroll scholarship recipients must report test results to the office of research and education accountability, which will analyze the data and provide annual reports to legislative committees. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-6-3502(7), 49-6-3502, 49-6-3504(d), 49-6-3504, 49-6-3505(a), 49-6-3505, 49-6-3505(b), 49-6-3505(c)(1), 49-6-3506(b)(2), 49-6-3506, 49-6-3507(a)(1), 49-6-3507, 49-6-3507(a), 49-6-3507(c), 49-6-3509(b), 49-6-3509