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PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 533
SENATE BILL NO. 16
By Lowe, Hensley, Watson, Hatcher, Jackson, Akbari
Substituted for: House Bill No. 25
By Cepicky, Faison, Stevens, Davis
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to interscholastic athletics.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 2, is amended by adding the
following as a new part:
49-2-901.
(a) A middle school student or high school student who transfers from one (1)
member school to another is immediately eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics at
the member school to which the student transfers if:
(1) The transfer is the student's first transfer in grades six through eight (6-8)
or nine through twelve (9-12), as applicable; and
(2) The transfer occurs in the summer between the end of one (1) school year
and the beginning of the ensuing school year.
(b) To maintain academics as the primary purpose of secondary education, to prevent
the exploitation of children for interscholastic athletic purposes, and to preserve stability in
the interscholastic athletic programs of member schools, the immediate eligibility provided in
subsection (a) does not apply to a transfer that occurs during the school year or to a second
or subsequent transfer at the middle or high school level.
(c) This section does not prohibit an interscholastic athletic association that
establishes eligibility rules for interscholastic competition among member schools from
determining the content, scope, and requirements of any rule or policy adopted by the
association for purposes of implementing subsection (a).
(d) This section does not supplant the authority of a school or an association of
schools to establish standards, requirements, and procedures for determining a student's
eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics. This section only establishes that a transfer
described in subsection (a), alone, does not render a student ineligible. The immediate
eligibility provided in subsection (a) does not apply if the transfer student is ineligible to
participate in interscholastic athletics by virtue of another rule or policy of the school or of the
interscholastic athletic association with which the school is a member or otherwise affiliated
that establishes eligibility rules for athletic activities.
(e) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, if an association that regulates
interscholastic athletic competition among member schools maintains its principal office in
this state, then any civil action challenging an eligibility decision made by that association
must be initiated in the circuit or chancery court of the county in which the association's
principal office is located. This subsection (e) only establishes the venue for such actions; it
does not establish jurisdiction or alter any existing law affecting jurisdiction for any civil action
challenging an eligibility decision made by an association.
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(f) This section does not create a private right of action against an association that
establishes eligibility rules for interscholastic athletic competition.
(g) As used in this section:
(1) "High school student" means a student who is enrolled in any of the grades
nine through twelve (9-12);
(2) "Member school" means a school in this state that serves students in any
of the grades six through twelve (6-12) and that is a member of an association that
regulates interscholastic athletic competition; and
(3) "Middle school student" means a student who is enrolled in any of the
grades six through eight (6-8).
49-2-902.
(a) Public schools, including public charter schools, shall not use public funds to join,
become members of, or maintain membership in an association that regulates interscholastic
athletics unless the association's governing board voluntarily complies with the open
meetings laws, compiled in title 8, chapter 44, part 1.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), an association that regulates interscholastic
athletics may conduct a closed meeting, or close a portion of an otherwise open meeting, if
confidential information protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20
U.S.C. § 12329), § 10-7-504, or any other relevant privacy law or privilege, must be
discussed. No other business, other than the business to which the confidential information
relates, shall be addressed during such a closed meeting.
49-2-903.
(a) If a student is placed in foster care, as defined in § 37-1-102(b)(17), and the
student seeks to participate in interscholastic athletics, then the public school or public
charter school in which the student is enrolled shall notify an association that regulates
interscholastic athletics of the student's placement in foster care, if failure to notify the
association of the student's placement may result in the student being deemed ineligible to
participate in athletics for any period of time.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a public school or public charter school shall not
notify an association that regulates interscholastic athletics of a student's placement in foster
care unless the school first obtains written consen~ from the student's parent or legal
guardian, or from the student if the student is eighteen (18) years of age or older, prior to
making the notification.
(c) A notification made pursuant to this section must be made in accordance with
state law, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. §
12329), and other relevant privacy laws.
49-2-904.
Any voluntary association that establishes and enforces bylaws or rules for
interscholastic sports competition for public secondary schools in this state shall be subject
to an annual audit by the comptroller of the treasury. At the discretion of the comptroller of
the treasury, the audit may be prepared by a certified public accountant, a public accountant,
or by the department of audit. The comptroller of the treasury may accept the association's
own audit prepared by a certified public accountant that has been filed with the secretary of
state to satisfy the requirements of this section. If the association fails or refuses to have the
audit prepared, then the comptroller of the treasury may appoint a certified public accountant
or public accountant or direct the department to prepare the audit. The association shall bear
the full costs of any audit prepared ..
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-132, is amended by deleting the
section.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-136, is amended by deleting the
section.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-416, is amended by deleting the
section.
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SECTION 5. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.
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SENATE BILL NO. 16
PASSED: February 9, 2026
~- ~~ ~,1'\e-l.l•
\ • - RANDY M~ALLY
SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
CAit'l!f{ON SEXTON, SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
fikhl~ APPROVED this tfl3rJ day of 2026
~fa.
BILL LEE, GOVERNOREvery fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.