Education - As introduced, enacts the "Family Right to Educational Emancipation (FREE) Act," which creates a new category of independent home schools that are not subject to the data collection, reporting, or assessment requirements applicable to existing independent home school programs and that exempts such home school students and parents from compulsory school attendance requirements; prohibits the department of safety from conditioning the issuance of a driver license or learner's permit on a school-aged applicant's attendance record or enrollment status. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 55.

SB 494, the "Family Right to Educational Emancipation (FREE) Act," creates a new category of home schooling in Tennessee. Parents or guardians who choose this option for children aged 6-17 are exempt from mandatory school attendance laws, state testing requirements, and data reporting to schools or government. The bill also prohibits state agencies from denying driver’s licenses or permits based on a student’s school attendance or enrollment status. This directly affects families opting for this specific home education path, removing most state regulatory requirements while maintaining the parent’s authority over curriculum and instruction.