SB 1305 extends Tennessee's CoverKids health insurance program for children by changing its expiration date from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2030. This bill directly affects low-income children in Tennessee who qualify for the CoverKids program, ensuring continued access to health coverage. The key mechanism is amending Tennessee Code Annotated Section 71-3-1113 to update the program's termination date. The bill was signed into law on April 3, 2025, and became effective April 8, 2025.
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.
HB 1169 requires Tennessee's Council on Children's Mental Health to submit annual reports starting June 30, 2026, detailing the statewide mental health system for children. The reports must cover current services (including state/federal programs), gaps in care, and recommendations for better coordination between agencies. The council must gather input from relevant departments (mental health, education, health, etc.) to create a comprehensive overview. These reports will be shared with the governor, legislative leaders, and agency heads. The bill, effective March 28, 2025, updates existing law to ensure regular oversight of children's mental health services.
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.
SB 152 allows patients with severe chronic diseases or terminal illnesses to access investigational stem cell treatments (adult stem cell therapies still in clinical trials and not yet FDA-approved) after their doctors confirm other FDA-approved treatments aren't viable. It requires Tennessee’s health commissioner to create rules listing qualifying medical conditions and mandates doctors to document that all standard treatments were considered before recommending these experimental therapies. The bill also protects physicians from license penalties for following these guidelines and prohibits government interference with patient access. This directly affects patients with qualifying conditions and their treating physicians in Tennessee.
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.
HJR 69 is a non-binding resolution urging Tennessee to adopt a comprehensive plan to address chronic disease. It proposes four key areas: reforming food access (e.g., restricting junk food in SNAP benefits, increasing healthy food availability), integrating health education in schools, improving government health standards (like banning toxins and updating FDA processes), and requiring nutritious meals in state facilities. The resolution directs state officials to support these principles and participate in an annual "Make Tennessee Healthy" summit. It does not create new laws but calls for policy shifts to reduce preventable health issues affecting Tennesseans.
HB 236 extends the Bureau of TennCare (Tennessee's Medicaid program) within the Department of Finance and Administration until June 30, 2029, by amending Tennessee Code Sections 4-29-246 and 4-29-250. It removes a sunset provision and formally incorporates the Bureau's structure under Executive Order No. 23 (1999), ensuring its continued operation without future expiration. This bill directly affects the TennCare program's administrative structure and the Department of Finance and Administration's management of Medicaid services. The law became effective March 26, 2025, after Governor approval.
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.
