Education - As enacted, empowers a student who is an English language learner and who received language assistance services in the classroom during the school year to receive the same language assistance services while t, the official text

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      State f/Jettnessee

                            PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 685

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 1213

                                             By Akbari, Oliver, Lamar, Yarbro

                                            Substituted for: House Bill No. 30

                                          By Clemmons, Salinas, Love, Chism

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to language assistance for
         students.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

         SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-60010), is amended by designating
the existing language as subdivision (1) and adding the following new subdivision:

                   (2)(A) A student who is an English language learner (ELL) and who received
                   language assistance services in the classroom during the school year must be
                   allowed to receive the same language assistance services while taking a TCAP test
                   or an end-of-course assessment, required by the state board of education under
                   subsection (a), as long as the receipt of language assistance services does not
                   invalidate the assessment.

                             (B) As used in this subdivision 0)(2), "language assistance services" means
                   services:

                                       (i) Designed for speakers of languages other than English that are
                             provided pursuant to an individual learning plan (ILP) by a teacher with an
                             English as a second language endorsement to ELL students; or

                                       (ii) That provide linguistically and academically appropriate
                             accommodations and scaffolding pursuant to an ELL student's ILP that are
                             provided by a general education teacher in the general education classroom
                             to ELL students whose parent or guardian has waived the student's receipt of
                             the services described in subdivision 0)(2)(B)(i).

          SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to the administration of Tennessee comprehensive assessment program (TCAP) tests in the
2026-2027 school year and each school year thereafter.
         SENATE BILL NO. 1213

PASSED:  March 30, 2026

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                            - , - ~-- RANDY M~ALLy
                                    SPEAKER OF THE SENATE

                         CAMERmPSEXTON,SPEAKER
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

/J,,m•, APPROVED this /L(-f:l_ day of             2026

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                              BILL LEE, GOVERNOR