Healthcare

signed · Tennessee · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1526: Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact to June 30, 2034. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 63, Chapter 6, Part 4.

SB 1526 extends the expiration date of Tennessee's participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact to June 30, 2034. This bill directly affects licensed physicians and healthcare providers who seek to practice across state lines through the compact. The key provision amends Tennessee law to set a new termination date (June 30, 2034) for the compact, which currently allows streamlined licensure across participating states. The bill does not change the compact's operational rules, only its duration.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, enabling streamlined cross-state practice for physicians, improving healthcare provider access and patient care continuity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing

in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 1859: Health Care - As introduced, enacts the "Freedom from Medical Debt Act," which requires the state treasurer to contract with a nonprofit entity to acquire and repay certain medical debts for Tennessee residents with incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level or who owe medical debt equal to 5 percent or more of their household income, and prohibits healthcare providers from reporting a patient's medical debt to a consumer reporting agency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

HB 1859, the "Freedom from Medical Debt Act," requires Tennessee’s state treasurer to contract with a nonprofit entity to repay medical debt for eligible residents. It directly affects Tennessee residents with household incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or those owing medical debt equal to 5% or more of their annual household income. The bill prohibits healthcare providers from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus starting July 1, 2026, and mandates that nonprofits remove negative credit reporting after repaying debt. Eligible debt must remain unpaid for over 120 days after billing, and repayment contracts explicitly state the state is not liable for the debt.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires state treasurer to allocate budget funds via nonprofit to repay medical debt for eligible residents, increasing public spending on health care access.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareReplaces medical debt repayment for low-income residents and bans credit reporting of medical debt, directly reducing financial barriers to healthcare access.90% confidence

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signed · Tennessee · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 1509: Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the committee for clinical perfusionists to June 30, 2031. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 63, Chapter 28.

SB 1509 extends the lifespan of Tennessee's Committee for Clinical Perfusionists until June 30, 2031, preventing its automatic expiration. This committee oversees licensing and practice standards for clinical perfusionists, who are specialized healthcare professionals managing heart-lung machines during surgeries. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 4-29-247 and 4-29-252 to remove outdated references and formally establish the committee's ongoing role. It directly affects clinical perfusionists and the regulatory framework governing their practice in Tennessee. The extension ensures continued oversight of this medical specialty without requiring new legislation before 2031.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends committee overseeing clinical perfusionists' licensing, maintaining regulatory standards for specialized healthcare professionals managing heart-lung machines during surgeries.90% confidence

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Feb 5, 2026

SB 1986: Anatomical Gifts - As introduced, permits medical examiners to deny an anatomical gift of a deceased whose death occurs under suspicious, unusual, or unnatural circumstances if the medical examiner believes one of the listed criteria is met; requires the procurement organization to provide certain listed information prior to and following the procurement of an anatomical gift. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 7 and Title 68, Chapter 30.

SB 1986 allows Tennessee medical examiners to deny body or organ donations after death when the death is suspicious, unusual, or unnatural. Medical examiners may refuse requests if donation would harm forensic investigations, destroy evidence, delay autopsies, or conflict with their duties. Organ donation groups must now provide detailed pre-donation plans (including surgical approach) and post-donation records (photos, medical tests) to the medical examiner. This directly affects medical examiners, organ procurement organizations, and families seeking to donate a loved one's body or organs.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRestricts organ donation access in forensic cases, limiting healthcare service availability per anatomical gift provisions.85% confidence

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signed · Tennessee · Senate May 1, 2026

SB 2070: Insurance, Health, Accident - As enacted, enacts the "Stopping Health Insurers from Excluding Legal Decisions (SHIELD) Act." - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 56 and Title 71.

SB 2070, the "SHIELD Act," prohibits health insurance companies from penalizing healthcare providers for treating patients with legally recognized vaccine exemptions (based on religious beliefs or medical contraindications). It requires insurers to exclude exempt patients from vaccination-related quality metrics, such as vaccination rate calculations, and bans insurers from dropping providers from networks or reducing payments solely because they treat such patients. The law applies to all quality measures used for reimbursement, including HEDIS, and ensures claims denied in violation of these rules are treated as "clean claims" subject to standard penalties. It takes effect July 1, 2026, affecting Tennessee healthcare providers, insurers, and patients with valid vaccine exemptions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits insurers from penalizing providers for treating patients with legal vaccine exemptions, protecting patient access and provider rights under healthcare insurance policies.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Public Health

in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 13, 2026

HB 1954: Opioids - As enacted, adds that a healthcare provider who subcontracts through the contracted healthcare vendor with the department of correction may prescribe a buprenorphine product for the treatment of opioid use disorder if other certain listed criteria are met. - Amends TCA Title 53 and Title 63.

HB 1954 would allow healthcare providers working with correctional facilities to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder treatment, expanding current rules. It specifically modifies Tennessee law to include providers subcontracted through healthcare vendors contracted with the Department of Correction or county/municipal jails, provided other specified criteria are met. The bill amends Sections 53-11-311 and 63 of Tennessee Code to enable this expanded access within correctional healthcare settings. The bill is currently in committee review (as of February 2026) and has not yet become law. It directly affects correctional healthcare providers and incarcerated individuals receiving opioid treatment in Tennessee facilities.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands access to buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder in correctional facilities, promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism through healthcare intervention within the criminal justice system.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands access to buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder in correctional facilities by allowing subcontracted providers, improving patient access to evidence-based care per healthcare support indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Substance Abuse

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate May 26, 2026

SB 1797: Managed Care Organizations - As enacted, prohibits a managed care organization from including a provision in the managed care organization's contract with a qualified nursing facility to provide medicaid nursing facility services, that permit actual or constructive termination by the MCO without cause, for convenience, or termination without specifying the grounds for termination; requires the bureau of TennCare, in conjunction with the department of commerce and insurance, to review and approve all standard contract templates used by MCOs for facility contracting to ensure compliance. - Amends TCA Title 56; Title 68, Chapter 11 and Title 71, Chapter 5.

SB 1797 prohibits managed care organizations (MCOs) in Tennessee from unilaterally suspending, denying, terminating, or otherwise ending contracts with qualified nursing facilities participating in the TennCare program. The bill directly affects nursing homes certified to provide Medicaid nursing care and MCOs that contract with them. Key provisions require MCOs to report concerns about facility performance to the Bureau of TennCare (not to act independently), and grant the bureau exclusive authority to determine termination - only allowing MCOs to act if the bureau has authorized termination, suspended payments for fraud, or if the facility was excluded from Medicare/Medicaid. The bill ensures nursing facilities cannot be removed from TennCare networks without bureau approval, maintaining service continuity for Medicaid beneficiaries during reviews.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePrevents MCOs from unilaterally terminating nursing facility contracts in TennCare, ensuring continuity of Medicaid nursing care access and protecting patient rights.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medicaid Medicare

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signed · Tennessee · House May 18, 2026

HB 1816: Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, requires the Tennessee opioid abatement council to allocate funds held in the opioid abatement fund in a certain manner. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 38 and Title 41.

HB 1816, "The Isbill Act," requires Tennessee law enforcement officers and correctional staff to undergo annual training on the criteria for involuntary hospitalization for mental health treatment. Specifically, it mandates the POST Commission and Tennessee Corrections Institute to create and adopt guidelines explaining when emergency and non-emergency involuntary admissions to inpatient care are appropriate. These guidelines will directly affect all law enforcement officers and correctional personnel in the state. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 33, 38, and 41 to implement these training requirements, effective July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires law enforcement training on mental health involuntary admissions, reducing criminalization of mental health crises and aligning with reform goals.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates annual mental health training for law enforcement on involuntary admission criteria, improving protocol access to inpatient care and aligning with mental health service support indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Law Enforcement Hospitals Mental Health Substance Abuse

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Feb 2, 2026

SB 1948: Autopsies - As introduced, requires a county medical examiner to report certain instances of the natural death of an infant or young person under 20 to the federal Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry; requires the county medical examiner to review the deceased infant's or young person's immunization and medical records; authorizes civil penalties and license sanctions for violations. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 63 and Title 68.

SB 1948 requires Tennessee county medical examiners to report sudden unexpected deaths of infants (under 1 year) and young people (under 20) to a federal health registry. It mandates that examiners review and document the deceased’s immunization records and medical history, including immunizations given within 90 days before death. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $1,000 for the first offense and $5,000 for repeated offenses, with potential license suspension for medical examiners. The bill aims to standardize data collection for public health research on sudden deaths in children and young adults.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates public health data collection for infant/young death review, enhancing surveillance systems to inform prevention efforts and improve health outcomes.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Jan 21, 2026

SB 1496: Health Care - As introduced, adds clinical informatics, lifestyle medicine, and medical virtualist to the list of words or abbreviations that a person may attach to a name to indicate or induce another person to believe that the person is engaged in the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine. - Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 6.

SB 1496 amends Tennessee law to clarify that healthcare professionals cannot use the terms "Clinical informatics," "Lifestyle medicine," or "Medical virtualist" after their name to suggest they are licensed physicians or osteopathic doctors. The bill adds these specific terms to the existing list of titles that mislead the public about medical licensure. It directly affects healthcare providers who might use these terms in their practice without proper authorization. This change updates the definition of "practice of medicine" under Tennessee Code Title 63, ensuring these terms cannot be misused to induce public belief in unlicensed medical practice.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePrevents misleading use of medical titles to protect patients from false licensure claims, aligning with patient rights protection in healthcare policy.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing

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