Tennessee lawmakers have approved legislation drastically expanding the number of families who can use taxpayer money on private schools regardless of income

Gov. Lee called for a special session for his proposed school choice program, a disaster relief package for those affected by Hurricane Helene, and prepare the state for President Trump’s new immigration policies.

Both the Senate and House of Representatives have passed Gov. Bill Lee’s statewide expansion of school vouchers, otherwise known as the “Tennessee Education Freedom Act of 2025.”

Tennessee House and Senate education committees passed the governor’s private-school voucher program Tuesday, speeding the $450 million first-year expense to final votes before week’s end. Senators voted 8-1 to send the measure to the finance committee to be considered Wednesday.