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.

SB 2181 requires Tennessee state and local governments to provide fully paid health insurance to the immediate family members (spouses and children, including unborn children) of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty or suffering a catastrophic injury (as defined in the bill) on or after January 1, 2020. It removes a previous two-year limit on coverage duration and mandates that the state reimburse local governments for the full cost of providing this insurance. The bill expands existing coverage to include officers with catastrophic injuries (e.g., paralysis, severe burns, or brain injuries meeting SSDI criteria) and applies to both state and local law enforcement officers. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026.