SB 428 requires insurers offering health insurance plans to Tennessee state employees to treat non-opioid pain medications (FDA-approved for pain treatment) equally with opioids on their preferred drug list, ensuring they are not disadvantaged in coverage or discouraged. It also mandates separate reimbursement for healthcare providers and hospitals when non-opioid pain treatments are provided to covered employees. The law applies immediately upon FDA approval of a non-opioid drug and takes effect July 1, 2025. This directly affects insurers and state employee health plans under Tennessee Code.
HB 37 requires insurers offering health plans to Tennessee state employees to treat FDA-approved non-opioid pain medications equally with opioids on their preferred drug lists (PDL). It prohibits insurers from discouraging coverage for non-opioid options used for pain management, though it allows insurers to prefer one opioid over another or one non-opioid over another. This applies specifically to state employee group insurance plans covered under Tennessee Code Annotated sections 56-7-3801 to 56-7-3803. The law, effective January 1, 2026, aims to expand access to non-opioid pain treatments without mandating their preference.
HB 959 updates Tennessee's licensure rules for marriage and family therapists. It allows students in accredited programs to use titles like "marital therapy intern" while supervised, and clarifies that associate license holders must use "associate licensed marriage and family therapist" or "AMFT" (not implying full licensure). The bill creates specific pathways for associate licensure, requiring a 9-month exam deadline and supervised practice under approved supervisors, while defining "approved supervisor" to include AAMFT-approved professionals. These changes directly affect therapy students, trainees, and practitioners seeking licensure in Tennessee.
HB 843 declares Perry County Community Hospital in Linden and Decatur County General Hospital in Parsons as "necessary providers" of healthcare services for federal critical access hospital (CAH) designation eligibility under Section 1820 of the Social Security Act. This enables both hospitals to qualify for federal CAH status, which provides crucial financial support and resources to sustain operations in rural areas. The bill directly affects these two specific hospitals, ensuring they can access federal benefits to continue serving vulnerable rural communities in Perry and Decatur counties. It requires the Tennessee Department of Health and Health Facilities Commission to facilitate the federal designation process.
SB 138 requires the TennCare program to reimburse air ambulance services operating within Tennessee at a rate of at least 67.5% of the federal Medicare program's standard rate for participating providers. This directly affects public and private air ambulance companies with a Tennessee base that provide covered emergency or nonemergency transports to TennCare recipients. The bill mandates this reimbursement rate for all covered services, applying to transports occurring on or after the law's effective date. It amends Tennessee Code Sections 71-5-165 (Title 71) and related provisions in Title 68.
HB 39, the "Menstrual Hygiene Products Accessibility Act," requires all Tennessee public school districts and charter schools serving senior high schools (grades 9-12) to provide free feminine hygiene products (such as tampons, pads, and menstrual cups) in all women's/girls' bathrooms, locker rooms, and with school nurses. These products must be available at no cost exclusively for student use, and the law takes effect July 1, 2025. The bill amends Tennessee law to mandate this access, replacing prior language that only authorized (but did not require) such provisions.
SB 1377, the Voluntary Portable Benefit Plan Act, allows businesses to voluntarily contribute to portable benefit plans for independent contractors. These plans, administered by third-party providers chosen by the contractor, cover health, disability, unemployment, life insurance, and retirement benefits. Contributions can be made directly by the business or by withholding a portion of the contractor’s pay, but only with a clear written opt-in agreement and the ability to opt out at any time. The bill amends Tennessee law to ensure these contributions cannot be used to determine a worker’s employment classification as an employee or independent contractor.
SB 1290 permanently removes a temporary expiration date for a law that excludes certain testing equipment from being classified as drug paraphernalia. Specifically, it makes permanent the exclusion of equipment used to test for synthetic opioids (like fentanyl) unless the equipment is used to commit a drug crime. This change directly affects harm reduction organizations, public health workers, and law enforcement using such tools for legitimate testing purposes. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-17-402 by deleting the prior repeal date of July 1, 2025. The law is now permanent and took effect April 3, 2025.
SB 619 allows licensed healthcare providers in Tennessee who completed a peer assistance or treatment program following a disciplinary action (like a consent order) to petition their licensing board to remove public records about that action after 10 years. The bill requires the relevant board to review and approve such petitions before removing the information from public licensing websites. It also authorizes Tennessee's Division of Health Related Boards to create rules for implementing this process, following standard administrative procedures. This change directly affects healthcare providers seeking to have past disciplinary records removed from public view after meeting the 10-year waiting period.
SB 1305 extends Tennessee's CoverKids health insurance program for children by changing its expiration date from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2030. This bill directly affects low-income children in Tennessee who qualify for the CoverKids program, ensuring continued access to health coverage. The key mechanism is amending Tennessee Code Annotated Section 71-3-1113 to update the program's termination date. The bill was signed into law on April 3, 2025, and became effective April 8, 2025.
