HB 819 removes a regulatory requirement for acute care hospitals in Tennessee. It exempts these hospitals - defined as facilities treating patients with an average stay of 25 days or less - from needing state approval (a "certificate of need") to open or operate new facilities or expand services. The exemption takes effect on July 1, 2028, and applies to all acute care hospitals under Tennessee law. This change directly affects hospital operators by reducing one layer of state oversight for their facility planning.
HB 2562 requires medical and osteopathic license holders in Tennessee to complete at least one hour of annual continuing education on nutrition topics. This applies to all physicians licensed under the Board of Medical Examiners (Title 63, Chapter 6) and osteopathic physicians licensed under the Board of Osteopathic Examination (Title 63, Chapter 9). The bill amends existing education requirements to mandate this specific nutrition focus, replacing previous general education rules. The change would take effect on January 1, 2028, pending legislative approval.
SB 1389 prohibits healthcare providers participating in Tennessee's TennCare or CoverKids programs from refusing to treat patients solely because they decline vaccines or immunizations. It requires the state to stop reimbursing providers who violate this rule and mandates the TennCare director to create implementing regulations. The law excludes oncology and organ transplant specialists from the prohibition. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, with rules to be established under state administrative procedures.
This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to Tennessee's Constitution, granting individuals the right to refuse any medical treatment - including procedures, medications, vaccinations, or other interventions - without being forced to undergo it, even during a state emergency. It would directly affect all Tennesseans by establishing a new constitutional right to medical autonomy. The amendment requires the Tennessee General Assembly to create laws implementing this right, though it does not specify how such laws would operate.
HB 387 prohibits Tennessee healthcare providers from asking patients about firearm ammunition or accessory ownership, possession, or access. It also bans denying treatment or discriminating against patients based on firearm ownership, and requires written notice if an inquiry occurs. Violations result in disciplinary action by the provider’s licensing board and a $1,000 fine per violation. The law applies to most healthcare providers (excluding psychiatrists/psychologists) and takes effect July 1, 2025. It directly affects patient-provider interactions in medical settings across Tennessee.
HB 179 modifies Tennessee's criminal abortion law by adding exceptions that exempt certain abortions from criminal prosecution. It specifies that performing an abortion is not a crime if it is necessary to protect the pregnant person's physical or mental health, or if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest (as defined in Tennessee law). The bill amends Title 39, Chapter 15 of Tennessee Code, reclassifying such abortions as non-criminal under these specific circumstances. This change takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting licensed physicians performing abortions and pregnant individuals in these defined situations.
House Joint Resolution 91 is a symbolic resolution expressing the Tennessee General Assembly's support for the SREB Crisis Recovery Network. It directly supports Tennessee schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions by endorsing a regional network that provides long-term, specialized counseling services after crises like natural disasters, school shootings, or public emergencies. The resolution recognizes that schools often lack sustained mental health resources, especially in rural areas, and highlights the network’s role in deploying trained counselors to aid recovery for students, teachers, and communities over extended periods. This is a non-binding statement of support, not a law imposing new requirements.
This bill would allow certain licensed psychologists in Tennessee to independently prescribe medications for mental health conditions after meeting specific training and certification requirements. It directly affects doctoral-level psychologists who complete a post-doctoral master's program in clinical psychopharmacology, pass a national prescribing exam, and complete a one-year fellowship with 100 patient evaluations under supervision. Key provisions require 450 patient contact hours in training, a master's degree covering neurosciences and pharmacology, and verification by the Tennessee Board of Examiners in Psychology. The board would issue an "advanced certificate to prescribe" for independent authority, expanding psychologists' scope to include prescribing psychotropic medications without physician oversight.
SB 402 prohibits healthcare providers from reporting a patient's medical debt to credit bureaus and bans credit bureaus from including medical debt in consumer credit reports. It directly affects patients (preventing medical debt from damaging credit scores), healthcare providers (who can no longer report such debt to bureaus), and credit bureaus (which must remove existing medical debt records). The law takes effect July 1, 2025, covering all medical debt from healthcare services, though providers may still report to debt collectors. Violations are enforced under Tennessee's Consumer Protection Act, with remedies available through the Attorney General's office.
HB 310 creates a legal presumption that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosed in law enforcement officers or emergency medical responders (like EMTs and paramedics) was incurred while performing job duties, making it automatically eligible for workers' compensation coverage. This applies to those diagnosed after responding to specific incidents, shifting the burden to employers to prove otherwise. The bill amends Tennessee workers' compensation laws (TCA Title 7, Chapter 51 and Title 50, Chapter 6) to explicitly include these professions under the presumption, removing prior exclusions of "firefighter" language. It directly affects first responders who develop PTSD in the line of duty, streamlining their access to benefits starting July 1, 2025.
