This bill requires Tennessee law enforcement agencies to create alternative crisis response units by January 1, 2026, where a qualified mental health professional accompanies police officers to mental health-related calls and leads the response. The legislation mandates that the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission establish uniform training standards for these units and provide annual training for officers on supporting mental health professionals during calls. The bill directly affects law enforcement agencies across the state and the training commission by creating new operational requirements and training obligations. It amends existing state statutes to formalize these alternative response protocols rather than creating entirely new laws from scratch.
SB 2476 exempts registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants who provide home health services to four or fewer patients from needing to hire staff or maintain an office to qualify for home care organization licensure. Instead, these nurses must request secure record storage space from the Tennessee Department of Health, which is required to provide it upon request. The bill directly affects small-scale home health care providers who serve limited patient volumes. It amends Tennessee Code Titles 63 and 68 to implement this licensing change, effective July 1, 2026.
HB 2351 updates Tennessee's medication aide certification rules to allow nursing students in good standing enrolled in approved nursing programs to qualify for certification without prior work experience as a nurse aide or occupational therapy assistant. To qualify, students must complete required coursework in medication administration, pharmacology, and nursing fundamentals with passing grades. This change directly affects nursing students seeking early career opportunities and healthcare facilities needing medication aides. The bill also adds new requirements for training program timelines (14-90 days) and exam pass rate calculations.
HB 2246 regulates stem cell therapies in Tennessee by requiring physicians performing such treatments (for orthopedics, wound care, or pain management) to source stem cells only from facilities registered with the FDA and accredited by specific organizations like the National Marrow Donor Program. The bill mandates that facilities provide detailed accreditation documentation to physicians and include a post-thaw viability report for each cell batch. Physicians must also disclose in all advertisements that the therapy is not FDA-approved and encourage patients to consult their primary care provider. The law explicitly excludes stem cell therapies derived from fetal or embryonic sources.
HB 2088 allows nurses providing home health services to four or fewer patients to qualify for home care organization licensure without needing to hire staff or maintain an office. Instead, these nurses must request secure, department-approved space from the Tennessee Department of Health to store patient records. The bill specifically applies to licensed registered nurses, practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants working with limited patients. It amends Tennessee law (Titles 63 and 68) and takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 2358 amends Tennessee law to adjust the scope of practice for podiatrists by changing the anatomical boundary of the lower leg they can treat. The bill replaces the current limit - "soft tissue structures extending no higher than the distal tibial metaphyseal flair" - with "the soft tissue of the lower leg below the tibial tuberosity." This change directly affects podiatrists in Tennessee by expanding the area they are legally permitted to treat without additional authorization. The amendment updates Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, to reflect this adjustment in medical practice boundaries.
SB 2667 requires Tennessee's Department of Health to study whether to create a licensure program for physicians who have graduated from medical school, passed the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), but haven't completed residency training. The report, due by January 1, 2027, would examine if such physicians could practice medicine under a formal supervision agreement with a licensed doctor. This would directly affect medical graduates without residency who seek to provide care in Tennessee. The bill does not create the program but directs a feasibility study to inform future policy decisions.
SB 2586 establishes new regulations for stem cell therapies in Tennessee, directly affecting physicians and facilities providing these treatments. It requires stem cells used in therapy to be retrieved, manufactured, and stored only in facilities registered with the FDA and accredited by specific organizations like the American Association of Tissue Banks. The bill mandates that physicians disclose in advertisements that the therapy is not FDA-approved and must use products meeting federal manufacturing standards. It explicitly excludes therapies using cells derived from fetuses or embryos after abortion. The law aims to ensure safety through facility accreditation, viability testing, and clear patient disclosures.
SB 2427 amends Tennessee law to expand eligibility for medication aide certification to include students in good standing enrolled in approved nursing schools who complete specific coursework in nursing fundamentals, pharmacology, and medication administration with a passing grade. This change directly affects nursing students seeking early certification, alongside existing pathways for certified nurse aides or licensed occupational therapy assistants. The bill also establishes a 14- to 90-day timeframe for training programs and adjusts how certification exam pass rates are calculated. These provisions aim to streamline the certification process for medication aides while maintaining safety standards.
SB 2548 allows physician assistants (PAs) to delegate medication administration to certified medical assistants (CMAs) under specific conditions. It expands the list of medications CMAs can administer - including vaccines, topical treatments, oral medications, and certain injectables like transdermal anesthetics - while requiring clinics to verify CMA competency for these tasks. The bill mandates that PAs must collaborate with a physician, follow approved protocols, and cannot delegate tasks requiring clinical judgment (e.g., adjusting patient care plans). This directly affects PAs, CMAs, and ambulatory clinics in Tennessee, updating their scope of practice under state law.
