[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6106653,"mediaKeyId","2779760-b902e44ad469151883b717fd8404aa47","parentId",2779760,"title","Votes at a glance: Tennessee Senate Health and Welfare Committee (May 20, 2025)","audioSeconds",838,"startMs",1467000,"endMs",2305000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2779760-b902e44ad469151883b717fd8404aa47&start=1467&end=2305","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2779760-b902e44ad469151883b717fd8404aa47/thumbnail_1467000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6106653/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-Tennessee-Senate-Health-and-Welfare-Committee-May-20-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6106653-0aec249372a885c1762bfce0e78f63cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770459393&Signature=gtx3a6wrkY6H1wi3ZfVx8iAHKyRd6DXrozAB0Mt-~VIpAGz-XwPIkY951FZ4sNvp~bLNkYGrKhsmJIQD9TGrtQxJ3nFkXTNyTGjQ-eEWmjrKgIjKEYnxdxU4AF7vms9WZ6kqiqc3HweQGBiTH0AGAEyo-2e-1Izcbf93BWZVC1QN8fFXms6DO70AxB1E24IZdzFZKNe8fAw1pZb1AZ5HupxFAe-3b9fNIxgYMJj~3Dpbsw6l~g2a8ZyC4LzHzgDb1~FZu4l4oK9OZFLQpAdgsYq2hwm~6H-SpZDdVfCJlhdBcoymbSvHJhu3le5R8vdjXOGZVwEPrC9Wfk68QIDn~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN State Legislature","date","2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","article","The Tennessee Senate Health and Welfare Committee (May 20, 2025) processed a full calendar. Below are the committee’s formal actions recorded in the transcript. This roundup lists bills that were voted on, moved, or otherwise acted on during the hearing.

Key outcomes recorded in the hearing (selected items):

- SB 1282 (Department of Health cleanup bill) — Amendment adopted; bill passed committee by roll call (Ms. Jimmy reported 9 ayes). The bill allows certain rules-based updates to food safety code, reduces inspection frequencies for some pools and bed-and-breakfasts, and adjusts campground and rented-premises language.

- SB 764 (partial repeal of corporate practice of medicine; AA licensure) — Amendment explaining AA licensure and county population cutoff adopted; committee approved the bill by roll call (8 ayes, 1 no); bill sent to calendar.

- SB 474 (prohibition on firearm-ownership questioning by health care providers) — Extensive testimony heard. Sponsor requested and received permission to roll the bill to the second calendar of 2026 for additional work (no final passage vote recorded).

- SB 6123 (cottage food expansion) — Amendment adopted; committee passed the bill (9 ayes) and sent it to the calendar. The bill broadens foods permitted under the cottage food law while continuing to exclude raw milk, meat, fish and alcohol-containing products.

- SB 152 (stem cell / right-to-try–adjacent statutory clarity) — Committee passed the bill (9 ayes); no additional amendments were recorded in committee.

- SB 1053 (Katie Beckett program change) — Committee forwarded the bill to the Finance committee; sponsor said it alters administrative delivery (no appropriation specified) to make benefits easier to access.

- SB 333 / SB 332 (nurse practitioner supervision and survey) — SB 333 moved to General Subcommittee for additional work; SB 332 (survey and annual reporting) passed committee by roll call (9 ayes).

- SB 6069 (study of psychotropic drugs in mass shooters) — Amendment adopted; committee approved the bill and directed testing/data transfer to University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center College of Pharmacy; sponsors emphasized limited number of qualifying incidents.

- SB 647 (medical-expense relief fund related to TennCare estate recoveries) — Motion to forward to Finance adopted.

- SB 334 (Tennessee Medicaid modernization / reimbursement changes) — Committee voted to refer the bill to Finance and Ways & Means for additional consideration (fiscal note discussed).

- SB 1154 (request to USDA for SNAP-waiver to prohibit candy and soft drinks) — Committee adopted waiver-request resolution language but sponsor agreed to roll the item to next year (motion carried); DHS fiscal note cautioned that USDA waiver authority is the federal gatekeeper.

- SB 1153 (prescriber self-treatment and treatment-of-family) — Committee adopted an amendment that clarifies limited circumstances for self-prescribing and family prescribing (short-term, minor or emergency situations) and the measure passed the committee.

- SB 1388 (blind vendors) — Amendment adopted; bill was sent forward to calendar.

- SB 1185 (rural hospital reimbursement corridor/waiver) — Committee forwarded the bill to Finance; the measure aims to align reimbursement corridors for small rural hospitals but will require a federal waiver to alter rates.

- SB 557 (nursing-home bed assessment renewal) — Motion carried to send the renewal to Finance, Ways & Means.

What to watch: Several bills that would require federal waivers (Medicaid reimbursement changes, SNAP-waiver language) were forwarded but will depend on federal approvals. High-profile items that will return for more work include SB 474 (firearm questions in clinical care) and SB 333 (NP supervision), which the committee moved to further drafting or a later calendar.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Health and Welfare Committee Mar 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee considered a broad Health & Welfare calendar: several bills passed or were referred to calendar/committee; a few high-profile measures were postponed for further work. This roundup lists each item acted on in committee and recorded outcomes.","taxTitle","Health and Welfare, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",29601,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6106659,"Committee advances two related bills to tighten nurse-practitioner supervision and collect practice data",564,4425000,4989000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2779760-b902e44ad469151883b717fd8404aa47&start=4425&end=4989","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2779760-b902e44ad469151883b717fd8404aa47/thumbnail_4425000.jpg","/articles/6106659/Tennessee/Committee-advances-two-related-bills-to-tighten-nurse-practitioner-supervision-and-collect-practice-data","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6106659-4c8281c786cf2b1762869c92d602b4e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770459393&Signature=cAXpyotnN3BSvWStYd20J9ewXZvd1CUr7K7n1Z98wzj3-cmk9SMiVCBbkIVJN5Tdyk2391pDgM~a9a4K9Q2X5CjWwR4o0sYJ6oTanLF7qPZ57ZNj6OF2pPZfm4lO6zPJsm2p3K8QLwrAkfw67IAGcYISTwTYFQkkSgcOPXaJ-mpr~fE9Qsze6O8zUnmYNuXZz~xCtg-QD3UEnRvIewkOLxEQO6u0aIYt8RKoIM45T0Lx3K4AyujfwecsWTbi7Qgh0owoxgTNGwuDDZhK9ebpCzIrv~0dZnL5CFOskZ2nyanqff9kSuMhbRmXYVKKVNs5aqNepbWYlaXYmjwbjqJ-FQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Two related measures addressing nurse-practitioner (NP) practice and oversight were considered together by the committee.

Senate Bill 333 (sponsor: Sen. Crow) would require that new collaboration agreements for nurse practitioners be with a physician who is board certified or board eligible in the supervising physician’s specialty and that newly licensed NPs serve a three-year supervised period with more immediate chart-review timing in higher-risk specialties. Sen. Crow framed the bill as a response to concerns about NP supervision in high-acuity specialty settings and patient-safety risks when supervising physicians lack relevant board certification or sufficient on-site time.

Senate Bill 332 (sponsor: Sen. Crow) would require the Board of Nursing (through the Department of Health) to survey nurse practitioners about specialty, collaborating physician specialty, practice addresses and the number of days per week a collaborating physician is on-site. The survey would be emailed, reminders sent quarterly, and aggregated, deidentified annual reports delivered to legislative health chairs. Department of Health witness Holt Witt confirmed the department has email lists for licensees and can implement the survey and quarterly reminders.

Committee action: SB 333 (the supervisory/credentialing bill) was moved to General Subcommittee without objection for further work. SB 332 (the survey/reporting bill), as amended, passed the committee by roll call (9 ayes) and will require the Department of Health and the Board of Nursing to collect and report aggregated, de-identified data on NP specialties and collaborating-physician arrangements.

Why it matters: The combination of a prospective supervisory standard (SB 333) and a data-collection requirement (SB 332) is intended to give lawmakers and regulators better visibility into where NPs practice, who supervises them and whether supervision arrangements match the clinical risks of specialty care. Supporters said the survey will allow targeted policy changes; witnesses said it will be relatively quick to complete by email and that the department already maintains contact lists for licensees.","Sen. Crow’s bills to require board-certified supervising physicians for new nurse-practitioner collaboration agreements and to direct a Department of Health survey of nurse-practitioner specialties advanced from committee; the survey bill passed unanimously and the supervisory-policy bill was sent to general subcommittee for further work.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":46,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6106665,"Senate approves limited repeal of corporate practice ban, creates licensure pathway for anesthesiologist assistants in small counties",645,1660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2779760-b902e44ad469151883b717fd8404aa47&start=1660&end=2305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2779760-b902e44ad469151883b717fd8404aa47/thumbnail_1660000.jpg","/articles/6106665/Tennessee/Senate-approves-limited-repeal-of-corporate-practice-ban-creates-licensure-pathway-for-anesthesiologist-assistants-in-small-counties","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6106665-9ba413ba468fe85de1dcdfc16ff158b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770459393&Signature=QXTxQ2rpVxMAiCO-NIWC7rGc775P4~SG64uT64LTW1CvGZrOmG7maR8GN3ATneq2axjIcLRSGFgxrtj6lLdsauhOd-rgLBTXfErX5CBxFJiflIqxnRXONd0rnaHK2M-3jiiDWW9aIg-3lKaJ~2ndCpWNBOn0JfqJ3v4tx9KPv4SkepHigHz2DvQXas7sMc-jnXDuGI~K6Z8zDMUhgLOq~dj6dos3tLSkxENMhM0t~tGx4lF3ykUoospHWlzPNXcPQOzJEYJJ~iKrPVfsTvRfJdoq9fDrr1oNbxQmWwToaVqRHafixh8fugN1p05NoXEaMfgpZ3i9XlVcLAeaTbZjeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 764, carried by Sen. Bailey, as amended, partially repeals Tennessee’s corporate-practice-of-medicine restrictions to allow hospitals in counties below a population threshold to employ radiologists, anesthesiologists, pathologists and emergency physicians directly. The amended measure also creates an anesthesiologist assistant (AA) licensure pathway and practice requirements, including written supervision agreements and compliance with federal supervision ratios for medical direction.

Sponsor remarks: Senator Bailey described the amendment as the result of multiyear negotiations among stakeholders and said the measure represents a negotiated compromise after several years of effort. He described it as a “partial repeal” tailored to smaller counties to give rural hospitals more flexibility to staff specialties.

Key provisions: As amended, the bill (1) authorizes hospitals in counties under a defined population threshold to employ certain specialists directly, (2) establishes licensure and practice rules for anesthesiologist assistants, including written supervising agreements, compliance with federal supervision ratios for reimbursement and medical-direction supervision models, and (3) adds an AA position to the Board of Medical Examiners by designating one of the nonphysician slots.

Committee questions and concerns: Senators pressed the sponsor on the reasoning for the population cutoff that excludes certain counties and on the rationale for adding an AA designee to the Board of Medical Examiners. Senator Hensley clarified that the amendment does not change practice relationships for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). Department of Health representative Holt Witt confirmed the department can implement the board-membership change and that boards generally operate by appointment authority.

Vote and next steps: The committee adopted the amendment and approved the bill by roll call (8 ayes, 1 no — Sen. Hensley) and sent it to the calendar. The transcript records the tally as \"8 ayes, 1 no.\"","Senate Bill 764 partially repeals the corporate practice of medicine in low-population counties to allow hospitals to employ certain specialists and establishes a licensed anesthesiologist assistant (AA) pathway with supervision rules; the committee passed the rewritten amendment and sent the bill to calendar with an 8–1 vote.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6106670,"Tennessee committee hears hours of testimony on bill to ban routine firearm-ownership questions by health providers",1367,2443000,3810000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2779760-b902e44ad469151883b717fd8404aa47&start=2443&end=3810","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2779760-b902e44ad469151883b717fd8404aa47/thumbnail_2443000.jpg","/articles/6106670/Tennessee/Tennessee-committee-hears-hours-of-testimony-on-bill-to-ban-routine-firearm-ownership-questions-by-health-providers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6106670-78ded6f12d5e941c46af855b047a5325/orig.mp4?Expires=1770459393&Signature=IkuMkIwfyvk7l~skhCPRioAagPaltv6jbE6apKzaIxfTkbLdWWJwMUmU5lC5R-eoBiXrLiYuTsXRct9sBq5Q-9aHno~YnQyY3dkKTZLHTW1QQr09G~PhBlwxScaOw4KQe~-DWoWmGH9mh4ZsmjlLG1oAm5hR-QOdMhszZUdqbgQ165~n~eZ12xrSFhP2pVSRbdBMURfdMWbDXJLpxLMqUD42usTAjRmgMYoEWASGIB4iY~tVtMSonqZgctbpdrr-llDCA~40XqwWlWaO4Bfj6pfZrLes-zkVj8hPDtBqs3UOhE~E0Sr-bwfLTmRfxasfKSSYgtqiRlP1rGcG4zrh7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 474, introduced by Sen. Sandra Bolling, would prohibit a health care provider from asking a patient about firearm ownership in most clinical encounters while carving out exceptions for emergency care, first responders, and licensed mental-health professionals. The bill was discussed at length before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on May 20, 2025, and the sponsor asked that the measure be carried over to the second calendar of 2026 for further work.

The measure’s sponsor, Senator Sandra Bolling, said the bill is intended to protect patients “from having to subject themselves to an ideology-based inquiry” and to preserve the doctor–patient relationship when questions about guns are unrelated to the medical visit. She told the committee the bill “carefully carves out exceptions for situations when a question about a patient’s firearm possession is legitimate, such as in an ambulance or if a patient or a person accompanying the patient shares information.”

Multiple physicians and trauma surgeons testified in strong opposition. Dr. Mayer Patel, chief of acute care surgery at Vanderbilt, said trauma and recovery care often requires open conversations about firearms and that those conversations “transcend the chain of survival through recovery.” Dr. Kelsey Gastonaw, representing the Tennessee chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, described cases in which asking about firearms led to concrete safety actions — in one account a grandmother who had not considered firearms in the home accepted secure-storage resources after a clinician’s counseling. Dr. Jay Wellens, a pediatric neurosurgeon, and Dr. Joe Chiles of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital warned the committee that firearm injury is a leading cause of death for U.S. children and that clinical counseling on safe storage reduces pediatric injury risk.

Physicians said counseling is a routine safety conversation similar to car-seat or pool-safety counseling and asserted that a majority of gun owners support physician counseling on secure storage. Several witnesses said it is standard practice to raise firearm safety when relevant to suicide risk, accidental injury or a family’s circumstances. Vanderbilt and children’s hospital physicians described programs that distribute free gun locks and said they have provided thousands to families.

Committee members asked whether the bill would criminalize or discipline clinicians; Sen. Harshbarger questioned whether a $1,000 fine and an ethical charge would be appropriate for clinicians who ask routine questions. Supporters of medical counseling said they had not observed clinicians refusing care based on firearm ownership.

After testimony and questions, Senator Bolling asked to roll the bill to the second calendar of 2026 for additional work. The committee granted the request; there was no final floor vote on the bill at this meeting.

Why it matters: The bill would limit clinicians’ ability to ask about firearms in routine visits, which proponents say preserves privacy and prevents politicized questioning and opponents say would remove a preventive tool clinicians use to reduce accidental and suicidal firearm injuries.","Senate Bill 474, sponsored by Sen. Bolling, would prohibit most health care providers from asking patients about firearm ownership; the bill was rolled to the second calendar of 2026 after extended testimony from physicians and questions from senators.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Tennessee Senate Health and Welfare Committee (May 20, 2025)

Committee advances two related bills to tighten nurse-practitioner supervision and collect practice data

Senate approves limited repeal of corporate practice ban, creates licensure pathway for anesthesiologist assistants in small counties

Tennessee committee hears hours of testimony on bill to ban routine firearm-ownership questions by health providers