The proposal sponsored by Republican Sen. Todd Gardenhire of Chattanooga was approved 9-2 in the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday and is now being scheduled for a vote by the full Senate.

The legislation is similar to a measure Republican Gov. Bill Haslam proposed last year that failed.

Under Gardenhire’s proposal, eligibility would be opened to low-income students in districts that have a school in the bottom 5 percent.

Haslam’s proposal was approved in the Senate last year, but the House version was unsuccessful because it sought to expand eligibility.