[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6624366,"mediaKeyId","2766495-51052e7fcfc01697b44250c6ed1e4c8a","parentId",2766495,"title","House Health Committee advances a package of health bills; several move to calendar and rules","audioSeconds",790,"startMs",4444000,"endMs",5234000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2766495-51052e7fcfc01697b44250c6ed1e4c8a&start=4444&end=5234","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2766495-51052e7fcfc01697b44250c6ed1e4c8a/thumbnail_4444000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6624366/Tennessee/House-Health-Committee-advances-a-package-of-health-bills-several-move-to-calendar-and-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624366-87e3e0e1900d55a8903f0281a3094b96/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168823&Signature=GkpQhnLOrPxdsLpuCULfvj8iMFLWgNOvJqB6zQ41vjcl1YLCBSndfJHXCsqdQHKaDL3IbB40hh5jBveks2wgR9xaQYqyR~TRiZvJaSBzU5oHUrfOpflteBy6wI6WeRcB35MaAM~4lty-FH8kAfZRgvAOq9gSaVlcwcVaFdaLlClNfVtgAeQZAZ6EfX1riRyOmtXJ-nYNtBOQvKS3Wo5KVg61NIo6Kn8Kj6v1iQcMBeOSAnWTo84xHZhvhkZj1w3WoJG-rDBpdPPaMJl9hQdkjuOot28V5Wb-mazBMix6oPI2RIc-ZzWQNLT4Iv78EHmlPzA5ajCcplhH3K4XbixYaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN House of Representatives","date","2025-03-25T20:43:00.117Z","article","The House Health Committee on an extended agenda advanced multiple health-related bills and a joint resolution, forwarding them to calendar and rules or other committees for further consideration.

Among the measures the panel moved forward were: a bill to recognize rights related to fertility treatments and contraception; a rewrite and deregulatory update to environmental health statutes; a joint resolution encouraging nutrition and exercise; creation of a medical expense relief fund intended to reduce estate recovery impact by TennCare; a change to hospital medical-records fees for electronic requests; adjustments to the Medical Cannabis Commission’s appointment rules; expansions to provisional licensing opportunities for international medical graduates; data-collection direction for nursing and nursing specialty information; and a legislative directive to compile physician-shortage information.

Key votes and brief descriptions

- House Bill 533 (Fertility Treatment and Contraceptive Protection Act): Sponsor described the bill as establishing that individuals have a right to engage in activities associated with fertility treatments and contraception and that state law does not prohibit those activities. Committee vote: 22 ayes, 0 nays. HB 533 moves to calendar and rules.

- House Bill 1310 (environmental health statutes modernization): The sponsor said the bill shifts some food-safety code changes to rulemaking, removes duplicate statutes, revises the campground definition, reduces frequency of some pool inspections, changes inspection cadence for bed-and-breakfasts and limits fee increases to no more than 3% per year (5% over five years). Committee vote: 24 ayes, 0 nays. HB 1310 moves to government operations as amended.

- House Joint Resolution 149 (\"Make Tennessee Healthy Again\" resolution): A purely advisory resolution encouraging nutrition, exercise and healthy habits; sponsor described it as similar to the resolution passed the prior year. Committee vote: 24 ayes, 0 nays. HJR 149 moves to calendar and rules.

- House Bill 1280 (Medical Expense Relief Fund): Sponsor described a proposal to create a fund to ease estate recovery by TennCare; speakers discussed estimates TennCare recovers roughly $30–$35 million annually and that a fiscal note initially estimated $250 million. Committee vote: 21 ayes, 3 nays. HB 1280 moves to government operations.

- House Bill 495 (medical records fees): Sponsor described updating Tennessee code to set a flat fee of $90 for electronic hospital records requests (applies to patient representatives when requesting hospital records), reflecting agreements among stakeholders and distinguishing hospital records from clinic/physician-office records. Committee vote: 23 ayes, 0 nays. HB 495 moves to calendar and rules.

- House Bill 830 (Medical Cannabis Commission revisions): The bill removes the requirement that a governor appointee must come from each grand division and expands eligibility to include caregivers; it also allows the commission to prepare policy recommendations in case of federal rescheduling. Committee vote: 22 ayes, 0 nays, 1 present not voting. HB 830 moves to calendar and rules.

- House Bill 510 (physician shortage information directive): The bill directs the Department of Health to compile information related to physician shortages to inform policy decisions. Committee vote: 22 ayes, 0 nays. HB 510 moves to calendar and rules.

- House Bill 203 (nursing specialty survey): An amendment requires the Board of Nursing to survey nurse practitioners issued certificates of fitness concerning specialty and to report by Jan. 15, 2026. Committee vote: 23 ayes, 0 nays. HB 203 moves to calendar and rules.

- House Bill 1201 (provisional licenses for graduates of international medical schools): The bill widens training-site eligibility for provisional two-year licenses for qualified international medical graduates so they can train at federally qualified health centers, rural clinics and other programs (previously limited to institutions with residency programs). Committee vote: 21 ayes, 0 nays. HB 1201 moves to calendar and rules.

Several items were rolled to next week’s calendar or otherwise deferred; the committee adjourned at its scheduled stop time.

What to watch next: Bills forwarded to calendar and rules may be scheduled for a floor vote. HB 1280 drew the most divided committee vote and generated discussion about fiscal exposure and possible migration effects; stakeholders and fiscal analysts may follow that measure more closely.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Health Committee- March 25, 2025- House Hearing Room 1","oneSentenceSummary","The Tennessee House Health Committee advanced a slate of bills on matters ranging from fertility-treatment protections and environmental health code updates to creation of a medical expense relief fund and expanded licensing pathways for international medical graduates. Most measures passed unanimously or by large margins; HB 1280 passed 21–3.","taxTitle","Health, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",35345,"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},6624371,"House committee advances Medical Ethics Defense Act after hours of testimony",2195,2176000,4371000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2766495-51052e7fcfc01697b44250c6ed1e4c8a&start=2176&end=4371","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2766495-51052e7fcfc01697b44250c6ed1e4c8a/thumbnail_2176000.jpg","/articles/6624371/Tennessee/House-committee-advances-Medical-Ethics-Defense-Act-after-hours-of-testimony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624371-d4ee100f60c00f318ccbdeec1316ad49/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168823&Signature=XVCzPL5wTa0z0oXLavw7iZ3Dtls0de8rJTV6S7Nvn9Pr1UZWzYaCaS8b6BofpqVHydxkuPZarVlIUv4SHYq4EMzeJZ722hsd8ujXrxJjWC1Fm1nyezCRdUpEwDI~-SI-FHrUazGp5Qu6S4ZM~sIzYiFwsQ8nmCmk6CNLshnOWQhyiwf2Yx8wmuvefgDc0mUOKBgz7xn-1FEcpWCfcJS8-CouAJZUpfhHFbTiankOp1skgMuFVvS1vcu3kUc1T~WYoVX~NGyxUyJ7fJGGnBbqAiqD0yiMH1DSOUEeZlcuRxe68FyYe0mOAzrSXaDOui-~apSnJcgkIlPd85V-jk1HIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair Brian Terry, sponsor of House Bill 1044, told the committee the measure \"safeguards the rights of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and medical students to practice medicine in alignment with their moral, ethical, and religious beliefs.\" The committee voted to send the bill to calendar and rules.

The bill would create statutory protections permitting certain health-care personnel to decline to participate in procedures, treatments or services that violate their conscience, provide whistleblower protections for workers who assert those rights, and prohibit government entities from taking action against a provider for exercising free speech, according to the sponsor's description. Terry told the committee the bill does not apply to procedures governed by federal law such as EMTALA or to care for individuals in imminent danger.

Opponents, including Dr. Amy Gordon Bono, a primary care physician, urged the committee to reject the measure or substantially narrow it. \"This bill before you today seeks to codify medical ethics in a manner that is excessively broad and as a result will have unintended consequences,\" she said, arguing existing Tennessee law already protects conscience objections and that the bill's broad language risks undermining patient trust and access to care.

Witnesses in support included Dr. Michael Chupp, CEO of the Christian Medical Association, who cited survey results his organization provided showing many faith-based clinicians report pressure to compromise conscience; Dr. Jonathan Shaw, an OB-GYN who described leaving a prior position after conflicts over expectations around transgender care; and Greg Chaffin, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, who said similar protections exist in multiple other states and rarely generate litigation.

Committee members pressed witnesses on details, including how the bill would interact with existing professional obligations and whether it would be used to refuse care in rural or other underserved areas. Several representatives said the bill's definitions and scope should be tightened; others said conscience protections are necessary to retain some clinicians.

On final passage in committee, the roll call showed 16 ayes, 5 nays and 1 present not voting. With the committee vote, HB 1044 advances to calendar and rules for further consideration.

Votes and next steps: HB 1044 was approved by the House Health Committee and forwarded to calendar and rules. If placed on the calendar, the full House would next have the opportunity to consider the bill.

Who testified: supporters included Dr. Michael Chupp (Christian Medical Association), Dr. Jonathan Shaw (physician), and Greg Chaffin (Alliance Defending Freedom). Opposing testimony included Dr. Amy Gordon Bono (primary care physician).","The Tennessee House Health Committee voted to move HB 1044, the Medical Ethics Defense Act, to the calendar and rules committee after extensive testimony for and against the measure. Supporters said it protects clinicians' conscience rights; opponents warned it is too broad and could harm patient trust.","actionData","errors"]

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House Health Committee advances a package of health bills; several move to calendar and rules

House committee advances Medical Ethics Defense Act after hours of testimony