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Committee expands ESA eligibility and advances bill allowing alternative national norm-referenced tests
Summary
HB 1881, which would allow ESA-accepting schools to use either TCAP or a nationally norm-referenced test, was amended to broaden school eligibility and passed out of subcommittee 8-4 on April 20, 2026.
Chairman Slater’s HB 1881 was amended and advanced to full finance after the subcommittee adopted two amendments that add school-eligibility criteria for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). The sponsor said the bill would let schools that accept ESAs choose either the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) or a nationally norm-referenced test.
Chairman Hicks explained the amendments add additional eligibility tied to the number of priority schools in a district in 2022, 2023 and 2025, a change Chairman Slater said ‘‘protects our schools, communities, and our family dollars across Tennessee.’’ Members asked which districts would be affected; Chairman Slater identified Knox County Schools as an example under the amendment’s criteria.
Following discussion on the amendments and eligibility criteria, the subcommittee voted 8-4 to move HB 1881 to full finance.
