Public Employees - As introduced, requires, instead of authorizes, the state and local governments to provide fully paid health insurance coverage to the immediate family members of state and local law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty on or after January 1, 2020; removes the two-year limitation on the state or local government's full payment of such coverage; adds that family members of officers who suffer catastrophic injuries on or after January 1, 2020, also qualify for such coverage; requires the state to reimburse local governments that provide such coverage. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 27.

HB 2405 requires Tennessee state and local governments to provide fully paid health insurance coverage to the immediate families (spouses and dependent children) of law enforcement officers killed or suffering catastrophic injuries in the line of duty on or after January 1, 2020. The bill removes the previous two-year limit on this coverage and expands eligibility to include officers with qualifying catastrophic injuries, defined as permanent impairments meeting specific medical criteria (e.g., paralysis, severe burns, or brain/spinal cord injuries). It mandates that employers pay all premiums for these families and requires the state to reimburse local governments for the costs. This policy directly affects law enforcement officers' families and state/local government budgets, with the law taking effect July 1, 2026.