NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee bill requiring public schools to gather and report data on students’ immigration status advanced Tuesday out of a House legislative committee, continuing a controversial debate over immigration and education policy.
The legislation, HB073/SB0836, was originally introduced as part of a Republican effort to challenge the U.S. Supreme Court’s Plyler v. Doe ruling, which requires public schools to enroll children regardless of immigration status. Earlier versions of the bill would have allowed school districts to deny enrollment to students unable to prove legal status or charge tuition to their families.
Those provisions were removed after concerns that such policies could threaten more than $1.1 billion in federal education funding for the state. House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland), the bill’s sponsor, told lawmakers the amended proposal is now focused solely on collecting data about how many students without legal status are enrolled in Tennessee public schools.
Supporters say the data would help policymakers better understand the scope of immigration-related education costs. Critics, including educators, immigrant advocates, and Democratic lawmakers, warn the measure could create fear among immigrant families and question how school officials would verify complex immigration documentation.
The Tennessee Senate passed the bill in its original form last year, but lawmakers must reconcile the updated version before it can move forward.
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