Tennessee has officially enacted legislation requiring the return of the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools, after Governor Bill Lee recently signed House Bill 1466 into law.
Lawmakers in the Tennessee House of Representatives voted 80-11 to pass the bill, while the Tennessee Senate voted 29-1 to send the proposal to the governor’s desk.
The measure, sponsored by Tennessee State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka), mandates that all local education agencies and public charter schools administer the federally reestablished Presidential Fitness Test to students each school year.
The requirement will take effect once the Tennessee Department of Education provides advance notice to school systems outlining testing guidelines.
The legislation follows a 2025 executive order issued by President Donald Trump that revived the long-standing fitness assessment and reinstated the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
First introduced under President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, the test evaluates students’ physical abilities through activities such as running, strength exercises, and flexibility measurements.
Under the new law, Tennessee schools must align their testing standards and award criteria with those set by the federal government. Students who meet the benchmarks may earn the Presidential Fitness Award, with requirements communicated annually by the state’s education department.
Schools are also required under the law to provide reasonable accommodations for students with individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 plans. If participation is deemed unsafe, those students may be excused from taking the test altogether.
The law also makes clear that student performance on the fitness test cannot negatively impact grades in physical education or any other subject. Schools are permitted to administer the test during physical education classes or other required activity periods.
Furthermore, the law also directs the Department of Education to notify schools if the test authorization is revoked and to report detailed participation and award data to the General Assembly.
Upon filing the bill prior to the start of the current legislative session, Cepicky said the measure is “a vital step in continued Republican efforts to make Tennessee healthy again by encouraging active lifestyles and a balanced diet,” pointing to a report at the time that showed nearly 40 percent of Tennessee students were overweight or obese in the 2023-24 academic year.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
