A Tennessee bill proposal seeks to address the state’s school bus driver shortage.
State Representative Mike Sparks (R-Smyrna) introduced House Bill (HB) 1790, which would lower the minimum age for a school bus driver from 25 to 23.
In the State Senate, State Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) introduced Senate Bill 2121, which is HB 1790’s companion bill.
HB 1790 gives school districts the option to lower the minimum age for bus drivers.
Current state law allows 23-year-old honorably discharged veterans, National Guard members, and licensed teachers working for a school district to drive school buses.
Sparks said nationwide schools are “grappling with a serious bus driver shortage,” which is “disrupting student schedules and creating uncertainty for families.”
“Lowering the minimum age requirement will expand the pool of qualified applicants, providing meaningful opportunities for young Tennesseans and helping ensure all children have safe, reliable transportation to and from school,” he stated.
Bowling said it is “essential” to get students “safely to and from school.”
“By giving local districts the flexibility to recruit more qualified drivers while upholding Tennessee’s strong safety standards, this bill helps ensure families can count on reliable transportation every school day,” she noted.
In October 2025, the Rutherford County School Board voted to back Bowling’s legislation to lower the minimum school bus driver age.
“I’m grateful to the Rutherford County School Board for their support of this critical legislation, which I’m hopeful will help alleviate the bus driver shortage across our state,” Sparks stated.
A bill last year attempted to lower the minimum age for a school bus driver to 21. However, HB 0084 was stuck in committee and never reached the House floor for a vote.
In addition to addressing the state’s school bus driver shortage, State Representative Lowell Russell (R-Vonore) introduced HB 1818, which requires school districts to provide bus service for students attending their zoned school.
The bill provides an exception when a bus cannot reach students due to road conditions or when students live in a remote area.
“If a district provides transportation, then students attending their zoned school should have access to it,” Russell said. “This legislation makes that expectation clear in state law. Parents deserve consistency and they deserve to know their child will have a reliable way to get to school.”
– – –
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com.
