Healthcare (Women's Health)

failed · Tennessee · Senate Mar 11, 2025

SB 1010: Birth Control - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Contraceptive Freedom Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

SB 1010, the "Tennessee Contraceptive Freedom Act," establishes a fundamental right for all Tennesseans to access contraception without discrimination. It requires healthcare providers to either provide contraceptive services or refer patients to providers who do, while prohibiting restrictions that single out contraceptive care or impede access. The bill explicitly defines contraception as distinct from abortion and emphasizes equal access regardless of race, gender, income, or other factors, particularly protecting historically marginalized groups. It applies to all healthcare providers, health insurance carriers, and public health agencies across Tennessee.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes right to contraception access, mandates provider referrals, prohibits discriminatory restrictions - directly improves patient access to healthcare services95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Public Health Women's Health

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 867: Women - As introduced, creates a pilot program to be administered by the bureau of TennCare to provide pregnant TennCare recipients improved maternal health care through remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes. - Amends TCA Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

HB 867 creates a pilot program for pregnant TennCare recipients with hypertension or diabetes, using remote patient monitoring to improve maternal health outcomes. The program requires technology vendors to provide devices that track blood pressure, glucose, and other health data, deliver devices directly to participants, and train them on use - ensuring functionality without broadband access. A nursing team and healthcare provider must monitor data, provide health coaching, and establish emergency protocols. The pilot aims to serve at least 300 participants across selected counties and must launch within 180 days of vendor contracts. The bill is currently pending review by the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates remote monitoring pilot for pregnant TennCare recipients with hypertension/diabetes to improve maternal health outcomes, directly advancing healthcare access and quality for vulnerable patients.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Telehealth Women's Health

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 20, 2026

SB 898: Women - As introduced, creates a pilot program to be administered by the bureau of TennCare to provide pregnant TennCare recipients improved maternal health care through remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes. - Amends TCA Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

SB 898 creates a pilot program to improve maternal health care for pregnant TennCare recipients diagnosed with hypertension or diabetes through remote patient monitoring. The program provides participants with devices to track blood pressure and glucose levels, transmitting data securely to healthcare providers for real-time monitoring and support during pregnancy and up to three months postpartum. Administered by the Bureau of TennCare, it requires at least 300 participants across multiple counties and mandates that a technology vendor (selected by the bureau) deliver devices, provide training, and coordinate with healthcare teams. The pilot must be operational within 180 days of contracting with a managed care organization and technology vendor.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates remote monitoring pilot for maternal hypertension/diabetes, expanding access to care for TennCare recipients through real-time health tracking and provider support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Telehealth Women's Health

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 4, 2025

SB 575: Health, Dept. of - As enacted, requires all hospitals and birthing centers to provide information on post-birth warning signs, including symptoms and resources, to a mother and, if possible, to the mother's caregiver or at least one of the mother's family members prior to discharge following a birth; requires the department to provide all hospitals and birthing centers with information on post-birth warning signs, including symptoms and resources, and to have the information available on the department's website. - Amends TCA Title 68.

SB 575 requires all Tennessee hospitals and birthing centers offering labor and delivery services to provide new mothers (and, if possible, a caregiver or family member) with clear information about post-birth warning signs - such as symptoms to watch for and local resources - before discharge. The Tennessee Department of Health must also supply this information to all facilities and make it publicly available on its website. This law directly affects healthcare providers in maternal care and ensures new mothers and their support networks receive standardized, accessible guidance on postpartum health concerns. It revises state law to improve maternal health communication without changing medical standards or treatment protocols.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates hospitals to provide post-birth warning signs information to mothers, improving patient education and safety in maternal care, aligning with healthcare support indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Women's Health

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Jan 15, 2025

SB 25: Children - As introduced, clarifies that a child's parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian may access and review all health and medical records of the child, including those records related to treatments available to unemancipated minors without parental consent; allows an employee of a local education agency to provide bandages, gauze, or ice packs for the treatment of minor cuts, scrapes, bumps, and bruises. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 49; Title 63 and Title 68.

SB 25 clarifies that parents, legal guardians, or custodians can access all health and medical records of their unemancipated children, including records from treatments provided without parental consent (such as certain reproductive health services). It also allows school staff to provide basic first aid - like bandages, gauze, or ice packs - for minor cuts, scrapes, or bumps without parental permission. The bill directly affects parents, schools, healthcare providers, and minors by standardizing record access and expanding school staff’s authority for minor injuries. These changes update existing Tennessee law to ensure consistent access to health information and streamline school health responses.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies parental access to minors' health records including sensitive treatments, protecting family involvement in healthcare decisions per patient rights indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Women's Health

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 24, 2025

SB 1011: Abortion - As introduced, creates an exception to the offense of criminal abortion if the person who performed or attempted to perform the abortion was a licensed physician and the patient's pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15, Part 2.

SB 1011 would create a legal exception to Tennessee's criminal abortion law for cases where a licensed physician performs an abortion and the pregnancy resulted from specific defined crimes: aggravated rape, rape, rape of a child, especially aggravated rape, especially aggravated rape of a child, or incest. This exception directly affects patients who become pregnant through these crimes and the licensed physicians who provide abortions in those circumstances. The bill amends Tennessee Code Section 39-15-213 to add this exception, allowing such abortions without criminal penalty under state law. The policy change specifically limits the exception to the listed offenses as defined in other Tennessee statutes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates legal exception for physician-performed abortions in rape/incest cases, enabling access to reproductive healthcare services for specific victims.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Women's Health

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in committee · Tennessee · House Jan 28, 2025

HB 70: TennCare - As introduced, requires a TennCare health benefit plan renewed or issued on or after July 1, 2025, by a health insurance carrier to provide coverage and reimbursement for biomarker testing for preeclampsia in pregnant women. - Amends TCA Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

HB 70 requires TennCare health benefit plans (renewed or issued on or after July 1, 2025) to cover and reimburse biomarker testing for preeclampsia in pregnant women. This directly affects pregnant women enrolled in Tennessee's Medicaid program (TennCare) and the health insurance carriers providing their coverage. The bill mandates that testing must be ordered by a physician, conducted by the prenatal care provider using FDA-approved methods, and follow clinical guidelines. It also allows TennCare to create rules and seek federal approval to ensure Medicaid coverage for this testing.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates TennCare coverage for preeclampsia biomarker testing, expanding access to critical prenatal care for pregnant women.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Medicaid Women's Health

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Feb 12, 2025

SJR 52: General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Reaffirms the General Assembly's intent to protect pregnant people, their friends, and their families. -

SJR 52 is a Senate Joint Resolution that formally reaffirms the Tennessee General Assembly's intent to prevent the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes. It states the legislature opposes using state laws to prosecute pregnant people, their friends, or family members for pregnancy loss, miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. The resolution highlights that Tennessee has the third-highest number of such criminal cases in the U.S. and notes that current laws disproportionately impact low-income residents and people of color. As a non-binding statement of legislative intent, it does not change existing laws but expresses the Assembly's position on this issue.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill explicitly opposes criminalizing pregnancy outcomes, reducing unjust criminalization in the justice system per its stated intent.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePrevents criminalization of pregnancy outcomes, protecting patient access to healthcare without fear of prosecution for miscarriage or abortion.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Women's Health

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passed · Tennessee · House Mar 11, 2025

HB 27: Abortion - As introduced, enacts the "Reproductive Freedom Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 20; Title 29; Title 37; Title 39; Title 49; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

HB 27, titled the "Reproductive Freedom Act," establishes a new legal framework protecting reproductive healthcare access in Tennessee. It defines "reproductive health care" to include abortion, contraception, prenatal care, and related services, and affirms individuals' fundamental rights to make decisions about their reproductive health without state interference. The bill requires health insurance plans to cover reproductive health care (Section 15) and repeals multiple existing state laws that restricted abortion access or imposed criminal penalties for reproductive care (Sections 2-22). This legislation directly affects all Tennesseans seeking reproductive healthcare by removing legal barriers and mandating coverage under state-regulated insurance plans.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires insurance coverage for reproductive health care (including abortion, contraception) and protects access without state interference, expanding coverage and protecting patient rights per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Women's Health

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failed · Tennessee · House Mar 18, 2025

HB 14: Abortion - As introduced, clarifies that the term "abortion," as defined for the offense of criminal abortion, does not include the use of contraceptives, including any device, medication, biological product, or procedure that is generally intended for use in the prevention of pregnancy, whether specifically intended to prevent pregnancy or for other health needs, or the disposal of embryos resulting from fertility treatments, including healthcare services, procedures, testing, medications, treatments, or products. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 39; Title 63 and Title 68.

HB 14 clarifies that Tennessee's definition of "abortion" does not include contraceptive use (such as birth control devices, medications, or procedures intended to prevent pregnancy) or the disposal of unimplanted embryos from fertility treatments (including related healthcare services and medications). The bill directly affects healthcare providers, patients, and fertility clinics by explicitly excluding these common medical practices from criminal abortion statutes. It amends Tennessee Code Sections 39-15-213 and related provisions to define these exclusions. The bill failed in the Health Committee's Population Health Subcommittee on March 18, 2025, and did not advance to the full legislature.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies contraceptives and fertility treatments aren't criminalized, protecting patient access to common healthcare services without legal ambiguity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Women's Health

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