At a meeting of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, members considered a series of bills affecting child care, health professional licensing, TennCare hospital assessments, genomic security, public health messaging and children's mental health reporting. Several measures were advanced to calendar or to the Finance committee.

Key votes and committee actions (votes shown as Y'N where recorded):

- Senate Bill 1012 (Sen. Oliver): Amends statute to include half nieces and nephews in the family count for family home child care ratios. Motion moved, seconded by Sen. Yarbrough. Roll call produced 8 ayes, 1 no; bill advanced to calendar and referred to Finance, Ways and Means for further consideration.

- Senate Bill 619 (Sen. Harshbarger; as amended): Creates a process by which healthcare providers disciplined for substance use disorder may petition boards to remove certain public disciplinary listings after specified conditions (discussion and amendment established the final language). Committee passed the amendment and the bill; roll call recorded 8 ayes and 1 present not voting; bill advanced to calendar.

- Senate Bill 577 (Sen. Hale; hospital assessment amendment): An amendment to last year's hospital assessment legislation that authorizes TennCare to continue assessments and make approved direct payments while federal (CMS) approvals remain pending. Witnesses from the Tennessee Hospital Association (Zach Blair, Amanda Newell) described partial CMS approval and the need for interim statutory authority. Committee approved the amendment and bill on voice and roll calls; bill advanced to calendar.

- Senate Bill 318 (Sen. Lowe; as amended): The bill (as amended) prohibits Tennessee businesses from using certain foreign adversary DNA banks for commercial storage or disposal of genetic material; passed and advanced to calendar on unanimous committee votes.

- Senate Bill 1031 (Sen. Bolling): As amended, this "Restore Trust in Public Health Messaging" bill limits state public health messaging about FDA-regulated products (vaccines, masks and emergency-use-authorized products cited in testimony) to content that aligns with FDA labeling; it also permits critique or public discussion of labeling and allows the attorney general discretion in certain reporting duties. Bernadette Pager testified in support. The committee approved amendments and advanced the bill (committee tally reported as 6 ayes, 1 no, and 2 present not voting).

- Senate Bill 1342 (Sen. Campbell): Requires the Council on Children's Mental Health (attached administratively to the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth) to submit an annual report on children's mental health status and recommendations to the General Assembly. Richard Kennedy (Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth) confirmed the council can absorb the work. Committee advanced the bill to calendar (roll call reported eight ayes).

- Senate Bill 706 (Sen. Massey): At the sponsor's request and as amended, this bill asks TennCare to collect and publish county-level data on services for Tennesseans with disabilities (percent service utilization, appointment wait time, time from approval to service start) to pinpoint access gaps. Committee approved the amendment and advanced the bill to Finance.

Several bills were taken off notice, rolled to the heel or held for amendment (including the Childcare Workforce Improvement Act introduced by Sen. Oliver, and SB401 regarding TennCare eligibility for minors).

Witnesses included Zach Blair and Amanda Newell (Tennessee Hospital Association), Richard Kennedy (Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth), and Bernadette Pager (citizen witness). The committee produced roll-call tallies on the recorded items and sent approved measures to the calendar or to Finance as indicated.