Image Credit: Adelia Kirchner / The Tennessee Conservative
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
A controversial bill allowing for the potential disenrollment of illegal alien children from public schools stalled in the House last year over legal and financial questions but has officially been revived and will be considered by a House subcommittee next week.
Sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland-District 44), HB0793 is intended to challenge the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Plyer v Doe which mandates states provide a free education to all K-12 students regardless of immigration status.
The bill would require all public and public charter schools to verify a student’s legal status during enrollment, and if the status could not be verified through documentation, allow LEAs and public charter schools to charge tuition not less than the TISA-based funding amount for the year.
If the parents of the illegal student fail to pay the tuition, enrollment could be denied, though the bill would also create an appeals process through the Tennessee Department of Education for students who may have a lawful presence in the country.
Despite the Senate passing their version of the bill, SB0836, the bill ultimately stalled in the House at the end of the 2025 legislative session over concerns about its fiscal note which stated federal funding could be jeopardized because Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 extends protections to “undocumented” individuals.
Because of the fiscal note, HB0793 was placed behind the budget and Rep. Lamberth requested Tennessee’s Fiscal Review Executive Director send a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to determine whether the state could lose $1.1 billion in federal funds if the legislation passed.
Without a response from the Department of Education, the House chose not to pull the bill from behind the budget on the last day of the session last year, but Lamberth signaled his intentions to pursue the legislation in 2026.
Now, it appears Lamberth has revived the bill as it is on the calendar for the House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for Wednesday, March 4. As of this writing it is unclear if Lamberth received the fiscal information he was seeking or if there may be a different strategy in play.
And as the Senate and House versions of the bill vary significantly, before the proposal can make its way to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk to become law the two different bills must be reconciled on the House floor should it make it that far. If the House cannot concur with the Senate’s version, a conference committee may need to be appointed for negotiations between the chambers before it passes on the House floor.
To contact members of the House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee with thoughts on this legislation before the meeting on Wednesday, use the information below:
Rep.ryan.williams@capitol.tn.gov
Rep.jesse.chism@capitol.tn.gov
Rep.mark.cochran@capitol.tn.gov
Rep.john.crawford@capitol.tn.gov
Rep.john.gillespie@capitol.tn.gov
Rep.antonio.parkinson@capitol.tn.gov
Rep.johnny.shaw@capitol.tn.gov
Rep.jason.zachary@capitol.tn.gov
HB0793 challenges U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Plyer v Doe which mandates states provide a free education to all K-12 students regardless of immigration status.
Rep.ryan.williams@capitol.tn.gov; rep.kip.capley@capitol.tn.gov; rep.jesse.chism@capitol.tn.gov; rep.mark.cochran@capitol.tn.gov; rep.john.crawford@capitol.tn.gov; rep.ron.gant@capitol.tn.gov; rep.john.gillespie@capitol.tn.gov; rep.gary.hicks@capitol.tn.gov; rep.tim.hicks@capitol.tn.gov; rep.antonio.parkinson@capitol.tn.gov; rep.lee.reeves@capitol.tn.gov; rep.johnny.shaw@capitol.tn.gov; rep.jason.zachary@capitol.tn.gov
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
