Sen. Bobby Harshbarger

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Tennessee pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) to reimburse pharmacies for prescription drugs at the highest of four specified amounts: the pharmacy's actual cost, 105% of the national drug cost average, the wholesale drug price, or the rate paid to their own affiliates. Pharmacies can appeal underpayments to the Department of Commerce and Insurance, and PBMs must pay double the owed amount if they fail to comply with the reimbursement minimums. The law directly affects independent pharmacies and PBMs by establishing enforceable payment standards and penalties for noncompliance, while prohibiting PBMs from deducting dispensing fees from reimbursements.

Maddy summarySB 2574 prohibits pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) from altering, restricting, or denying medications ordered by healthcare prescribers without proper process. It requires PBMs to respond to special approval requests within 24 hours for urgent cases or 72 hours for others, with requests deemed approved if unresolved. The bill also bans PBMs from retaliating against pharmacies or prescribers for exercising their rights under the law and mandates annual reporting on approval rates, response times, and rebate arrangements to state departments. These provisions directly affect prescribers, pharmacies, and PBMs by strengthening prescriber authority and increasing transparency in medication access.

Maddy summarySB 2575 prohibits Tennessee insurers from denying, conditioning, or charging higher rates for Medicare supplement policies to people under 65 who qualify for Medicare due to disability or end-stage renal disease (called "non-age eligible persons"). It requires insurers to offer these policies with the same benefits and pricing as for those 65+ if applicants meet specific criteria, such as applying within 60 days of their birthday or enrolling in Medicare Part B by 2027. Insurers must use a weighted average premium rate (based on all Medicare supplement policyholders aged 65+) for these applicants and cannot impose waiting periods or exclusions for preexisting conditions. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, applying to new or renewed policies after that date.

Maddy summarySB 2577 prohibits Tennessee state departments, agencies, and entities from contracting with pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) that have been disciplined by the Department of Finance and Administration or the Department of Commerce and Insurance. The bill amends Tennessee law to apply this restriction to TennCare (Section 1), state committees (Section 2), and all state departments/agencies (Section 3). It takes effect July 1, 2026, applying to new, amended, or renewed contracts after that date. This directly affects state health programs and agencies that work with PBMs, requiring them to avoid vendors with prior disciplinary actions.

Maddy summarySB 1722 requires Tennessee health insurance companies to pay non-network medical laboratories (that are eligible to join an insurance network) at least the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) clinical laboratory fee schedule rate for covered lab tests. It also allows insurers to set the same performance standards for these non-network labs as they do for in-network providers. The law will take effect on July 1, 2026, and applies to health insurance and managed health insurance issuers in Tennessee.

Maddy summarySB 2706 amends Bristol's city charter to update election procedures for the city council and school board, requiring elections every even-numbered year on the first Tuesday in November with three district seats and two at-large seats. It shortens the effective date for city ordinances from 17 to 7 days after passage and revises property tax deadlines, including a 2% early payment discount and penalties for late payment. The bill also creates a department of education within Bristol's government structure. These changes directly affect Bristol residents, city officials, and property owners by altering local election rules and tax collection processes.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 293 honors the late Bobby Lynn Jarnagin of Surgoinsville, Tennessee, a longtime public servant and community member. The resolution commemorates his life, career (including 40 years at Holliston Mills, service with the Hawkins County Volunteer Rescue Squad, and work with the Highway Department), and dedication to family and faith. It was unanimously adopted by the Tennessee Senate on February 23, 2026, and signed into law. This ceremonial resolution does not create new laws or policies.

Maddy summarySB 2582 prohibits Tennessee local governments from adopting or enforcing zoning changes that reduce a property's value (like restricting building height or density), directly affecting property owners whose land value decreases due to such changes. Property owners can sue for compensation equal to the lost fair market value, calculated through an independent appraisal, or seek to stop the zoning change. Exceptions include regulations needed for public health/safety (e.g., flood zones), federal compliance (like the Fair Housing Act), or preventing nuisances. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and requires local governments to pay compensation if they fail to provide it before a property owner sues.

Maddy summarySB 2573 requires Tennessee school districts (Local Education Agencies or LEAs) to compile and publicly post online, by October 1 each year, a list of all school buildings using natural gas for utilities like heating or cooking, along with the names of the gas suppliers serving those buildings. The bill amends Tennessee law to mandate this annual transparency requirement for all public school districts. It directly affects school districts by creating a new annual reporting obligation for their websites. The key provision is the mandatory public posting of facility-level natural gas usage data, with no additional regulatory requirements for the gas usage itself.

Maddy summarySB 2580 requires Tennessee's Commissioner of Health to study how neighboring states regulate telehealth prescriptions for medications, comparing their rules to Tennessee's current restrictions. Using existing resources, the commissioner must analyze prescriber requirements in other states and compile findings into a report. The report must be submitted to the Tennessee General Assembly by December 31, 2026, without creating new regulations or affecting current prescribing practices. This bill directly involves the health commissioner and the legislature, but does not change existing telehealth laws or impact patients or prescribers immediately.