Overview
- The House approved HB 793 on March 16 in a 70–25 vote, advancing a plan to collect statewide data on students’ immigration or citizenship status.
- Schools would verify status at enrollment and submit anonymized, aggregate reports to the Tennessee Department of Education, state immigration officials, and lawmakers without personally identifiable information.
- The reports would include counts of students who did not provide documentation and the stated reasons for non-compliance.
- The Senate previously passed a stricter version that could allow tuition charges or denial of enrollment, so the chambers must reconcile the bills before any measure can become law.
- Republican sponsors describe the bill as a data effort, while educators, immigrant-rights groups, and Democrats warn of logistical burdens, risks to more than $1.1 billion in federal funding, and an intended challenge to Plyler v. Doe, with lawsuits expected if enacted.