Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Tennessee General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
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State f/Jetine8see
PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 656
SENATE BILL NO. 1951
By Lowe
Substituted for: House Bill No. 1856
By Rudd, Atchley, Greg Martin, Terry, Davis, Bricken, Sparks, Doggett, Russell, Garringer
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to school transportation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2109, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(f)(1) Notwithstanding this section to the contrary, a school bus that is used
exclusively to transport students from school to an after-school program may be used
until the bus reaches the twentieth year from the in-service date of the bus, or until
the bus accumulates three hundred thousand (300,000) miles of recorded travel,
whichever occurs later. After the bus reaches the later of twenty (20) years of service
or three hundred thousand (300,000) miles of recorded travel, the owner of the bus
may continue to operate the bus throughout the remainder of the school year, but at
the conclusion of the school year the owner must discontinue use of, or replace, the
bus. The bus must meet all requirements for its continued safe use and operation
during the remainder of the school year, and the owner of the bus shall notify the
department of safety in writing, via certified mail, that the bus has reached twenty (20)
years of service or three hundred thousand (300,000) miles of recorded travel.
(2) A school bus that is in use pursuant to this subsection (f) for more than
fifteen (15) years from its in-service date must be inspected by the commissioner or
the commissioner's designee at least twice annually.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
SENATE BILL NO. 1951
PASSED: March 16, 2026
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' RAND--,\~ ,L _______ _
SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
CAMER. . .~ X T O N , S P E A K E R
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APPROVED this _ _ _ day of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2026
BILL LEE, GOVERNOR
BILL LEE
c;ovERNOR
STATE Of Tl-·:'.'JNESSEE
The Honorable Randy McNally
Lt. Governor and Speaker of the Senate
425 Rep. John Lewis Way N.
Suite 700 Cordell Hull Building
Nashville, TN 37243
The Honorable Cameron Sexton
Speaker of the House of Representatives
425 Rep. John Lewis Way N.
Suite 600 Cordell Hull Building
Nashville, TN 37243
April l, 2026
Re: Senate Bill 1951 / House Bill 1856
Dear Lieutenant Governor McNally and Speaker Sexton:
I am returning SB 1951/ HB 1856 without my signature. This bill changes restrictions on buses
while Tennessee is mourning a school bus crash that took the lives of two children and caused
many other injuries.
Although there is presently no evidence that this tragic accident was caused by a defect with the
school bus itself, I am returning SB 1951/ HB 1856 without my signature out of respect for the
ongoing investigation and the victims' families.
Respectfully,
~~
Bill Lee
Governor
STATE CAPITOL • NASHVILLE, TN 37243-0001 • PH: 615.741.2001 • www.tn.govEvery fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.