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Committee rejects expansion of education savings accounts to four additional counties
Summary
House Bill 409, which would have expanded the state’s ESA program into Clarksville-Montgomery, Knox and Rutherford counties, failed in subcommittee by voice vote.
House Bill 409, a proposal to expand Tennessee’s education savings account (ESA) program into additional counties, failed to secure committee approval and will not move to full education.
Chairman White explained the bill “was asking for as an expansion of the ESA in the counties of Clarksville, Montgomery, Knox County, and Rutherford County.” He said the program already covers Shelby, Davidson and Hamilton counties and that the sponsor’s request would broaden the program’s geographic reach.
Representative McKenzie and other members discussed timing and recent changes to education funding, with McKenzie saying she “struggle[d] with” advancing the measure at this time. The clerk announced the recorded committee outcome: “Mister chairman, you have 1 aye, 2 noes, and 1 present not voting,” and the chair declared, “House Bill 409 fails for lack of a majority vote.”
The committee discussion focused on whether expanding the ESA was appropriate following recent special-session changes to education funding; the transcript does not record technical details of the ESA expansion language or fiscal impacts.
