HB 1471 amends Tennessee law to change the definition of a "violent offender" for drug treatment court eligibility. It removes convictions for domestic assault (if not a felony) from being counted as a violent offense, instead requiring a felony conviction for certain acts within the previous 10 years. This change would allow more individuals with non-felony domestic assault convictions to qualify for drug treatment courts. The amendment takes effect on July 1, 2026.
SJR 619 is a non-binding resolution recognizing Tennessee's youth substance abuse crisis, citing data like 29.8% of students vaping nicotine and 13% vaping marijuana per the 2022-2023 Tennessee Together Student Survey. It recommends schools implement evidence-based prevention programs - starting in kindergarten and continuing through graduation - integrated into existing health and physical education curricula. The resolution specifically advocates for life skills training, social-emotional learning, and mental health support as part of these programs. As a statement of intent, it urges the Tennessee Department of Education to adopt these approaches but does not create new laws or allocate funding.
SB 2080 directs the first $150 million in tax revenue from Tennessee's health maintenance organization tax (starting July 1, 2026) to draw down federal funds for specific healthcare providers. It requires reimbursement for physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants who treat TennCare patients for evaluation, obstetrics/gynecology, or anesthesia services using designated medical billing codes. Reimbursement must cover up to 110% of the current Medicare rate for those services. The bill applies to TennCare reimbursements for services provided on or after July 1, 2026.
HB 2003, the "School Mental Health Transparency Act," requires Tennessee's Department of Education to compile and publish a statewide list of mental health resources for students, including geographic locations and availability limitations. Public schools must then use this list to create their own school-specific resource lists and share them annually with parents/guardians (starting 2026-2027) or directly with eligible students, while also posting the lists on school websites. The bill mandates no new staffing or funding, clarifies that listing resources doesn't endorse them, and requires the department to consult multiple state agencies like health and children's services when building the initial list. This directly affects all Tennessee public schools, students, and their families by standardizing access to mental health support information.
HB 1993 prohibits health insurance issuers and managed health insurance issuers from reimbursing non-network medical laboratories for testing services at rates below the federal CMS clinical laboratory fee schedule in Tennessee. It requires these insurers to pay eligible labs at the CMS rate while allowing them to mandate that non-network labs meet the same performance metrics required of in-network laboratories. This bill directly affects health insurance companies, medical laboratories (particularly non-network providers), and patients who select labs for testing under insurance plans, as it standardizes reimbursement rates and ties lab performance to payment. The policy changes take effect July 1, 2026, and amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 56, Chapter 7, Part 23.
HB 1836 increases the reimbursement rate for ambulance services under TennCare from 67.5% to 110% of the federal Medicare program's allowable charges for participating providers. It also deletes the Ground Ambulance Service Provider Assessment Act, removing a requirement for ambulance providers to pay an annual assessment. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026, and specifies that any remaining funds in the ambulance service assessment revenue fund after June 30, 2026, must stay in the fund until expended. This change directly affects ambulance service providers participating in TennCare.
HB 1775 requires Tennessee health plans and insurers to cover two specific cancer-related services without out-of-pocket costs: genetic testing for inherited cancer risks (for individuals with personal or family cancer history, as recommended by a doctor) and evidence-based cancer imaging (for high-risk individuals per National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines). This applies to all health plans issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2026. The bill directly affects insurers by mandating coverage and patients with cancer risk factors by removing cost barriers to these screenings. It does not alter existing health savings account rules but ensures these preventive services are fully covered under the plan.
HB 2049 establishes the State Uterine Fibroids Commission, composed of 11 members including healthcare professionals, hospital representatives, patient advocates (with uterine fibroids or related conditions), and two legislative appointees. The commission will evaluate existing efforts, advise the governor and health department on policies, research state regulations related to uterine fibroids and related conditions, and hold annual public hearings. It must submit annual reports to health committees by December 31 each year. The commission directly affects women diagnosed with uterine fibroids, endometriosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome by creating a formal advisory body focused on their health needs.
SB 1610 amends Tennessee law to allow Putnam County and incorporated cities within the county meeting specific 2020 census population thresholds (366,200-366,300 for the county, 79,800-79,900 for cities) to regulate sober living homes for substance abuse recovery. The bill enables these local governments to establish rules for such homes while requiring compliance with the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. It does not create new regulations but defines which jurisdictions can implement them. The key provision adjusts the legal definition of "local government" in state code to include these specific areas.
SB 2081 expands a Tennessee law that prohibits health insurance plans from requiring step therapy (trying less expensive treatments first) before covering approved cancer drugs. It removes the current restriction that only applied to "stage 4 advanced metastatic cancer or metastatic blood cancer," instead applying the prohibition to **all cancer diagnoses**. This means cancer patients in Tennessee with insurance plans covering cancer treatment cannot be forced through step therapy protocols before accessing approved drugs. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, for new or renewed insurance policies.
