HB 1158 would allow TennCare enrollees in Part A of the Katie Beckett program (children with disabilities requiring long-term care) to use their allocated funds for home and community-based services through health reimbursement arrangements. The bill requires the TennCare director to take necessary actions, including seeking federal waiver amendments, to enable this option. It directly affects families enrolled in the Katie Beckett program who currently access care funding through traditional methods. The policy change aims to provide greater flexibility in how these funds are utilized for care services.
HB 62 authorizes Tennessee athletic trainers to use dry needling for preventing, treating, and rehabilitating athletic injuries, directly affecting licensed athletic trainers in the state. The bill requires the Board of Athletic Trainers to establish minimum competency standards that practitioners must demonstrate to safely perform dry needling. It clarifies that this practice does not constitute acupuncture under existing law. The policy change expands athletic trainers' scope of practice with specific safety safeguards, effective March 28, 2025.
SB 174 amends Tennessee law to update requirements for surgical assistants seeking board registration. It adds the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA) as an accepted credentialing body alongside the National Commission for Certification of Surgical Assistants, allowing applicants to maintain current ABSA credentials. The bill also removes the December 31, 2019, deadline for applicants to register based on practical experience, making registration more flexible. This change directly affects surgical assistants in Tennessee seeking state licensure, effective March 25, 2025. The law modifies Tennessee Code Annotated § 63-6-219(b)(1) and (b)(3).
HB 1319 extends Tennessee's CoverKids program, which provides health insurance for children, by changing its expiration date from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2030. It amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 71-3-1113 to update this deadline. The bill directly affects low-income children and families enrolled in CoverKids, ensuring continued eligibility for coverage through 2030. This is a straightforward extension of an existing program, with no changes to eligibility criteria or funding structure. The bill became law on April 8, 2025.
HB 1157, the "Restore Trust in Public Health Messaging Act," requires Tennessee's Department of Health, local health departments, and state executive branch to ensure all public communications about FDA-regulated products (like medications) accurately reflect the FDA-approved or FDA-authorized labels. It prohibits promoting information that conflicts with these labels, including general product categories unless universally true or properly qualified. The law mandates an internal compliance review by July 2025, annual reporting to state officials starting in 2026, and a complaint process for violations with potential penalties. This directly affects state health agencies' public messaging about medical products, aiming to align communications with federal FDA standards.
HB 498 creates an advisory task force to review and recommend annual adjustments to state reimbursement rates paid to healthcare agencies in Tennessee. The task force, composed of 6 appointed members (3 by each legislative chamber, representing different health professions) and ex-officio agency representatives, will focus on ensuring rates cover agency costs, staff salaries, and administrative needs. It must submit annual recommendations by August 1, starting in 2026, to state officials and legislative committees, considering factors like provider costs, staff compensation, and workforce shortages. The bill directly affects healthcare agencies providing state-funded services, aiming to make reimbursement rates more adequate without changing existing funding levels.
HB 502 expands TennCare coverage to include diagnosis (including genetic testing) and treatment for Kleefstra syndrome, a rare genetic disorder affecting development and multiple body systems. It requires TennCare to provide this coverage in the same manner and extent as for autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome (Trisomy 21), and other similar genetic disorders, when medically necessary. This applies to all enrolled individuals with Kleefstra syndrome and covers therapies, medications, assistive devices, and interventions aimed at improving quality of life. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, after being signed by the Governor in April 2025.
HB 1201 creates a temporary "foreign training license" for internationally licensed physicians in Tennessee who meet specific criteria. It directly affects physicians trained outside the U.S. but holding valid licenses in their home countries, requiring them to provide proof of an AMA-approved medical education, an ECFMG certificate, three years of postgraduate training (or seven years of practice), and current good standing in their home licensing country. The license is tied to a specific Tennessee healthcare employer, requiring applicants to have a job offer from that provider and restricting practice to that employer unless the board is notified of a change. After two years of active practice in Tennessee under this license, physicians may qualify for a full, unrestricted medical license. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
HJR 80 designates May 2025 as "National Hypertension Month" in Tennessee. The resolution urges healthcare providers, insurers, and TennCare to promote hypertension awareness and support coverage for renal denervation therapies, which treat resistant hypertension. It advocates for policy changes to improve access to innovative treatments but does not create new legal requirements. As a symbolic resolution, it encourages state-level action without mandating specific outcomes.
HB 383 requires Tennessee's health commissioner to add alpha-gal syndrome - a rare meat allergy triggered by tick bites - to the state's official list of reportable diseases by July 1, 2025. Healthcare providers must then report diagnosed cases to the Department of Health under existing rules. This bill directly affects medical professionals who will need to submit these reports and public health officials who will track the condition. The law amends Tennessee Code Titles 4, 63, and 68 to implement this change, effective March 26, 2025.
