All Roll Calls
Yes: 39 • No: 0
TennesseeSB 0286114th General Assembly (2025-2026)Senate
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, Chapter 26, relative to multiple employer welfare arrangements.
Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable
Signed by Governor
Insurance Companies, Agents, Brokers, Policies
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Associations gain protection for member health coverage
Tennessee’s pooling-agreement rules cannot prohibit or discourage lawful associations from offering health coverage to their members in Tennessee. Associations formed under Tennessee law or another state’s law receive this protection. The coverage must follow federal law, including when offered through a shared employer benefit plan. The law does not set premiums or guarantee any member a specific benefit.
Bank employee health plans gain Tennessee recognition
The law lets qualifying out-of-state bank benefit plans count as domestic plans in Tennessee. Plans must include only banks, their sponsoring association, and their employees. Eligible banks include banking and savings institutions chartered, or seeking a charter, under Tennessee, neighboring-state, or federal law. They must belong to a trade or professional organization supporting these institutions, with participation allowed under federal tax law. The definition also includes a bank’s parent, affiliates, and subsidiaries under common control. The sponsoring association must consist only of banks, have existed actively for at least five years, and have a substantial business purpose beyond benefits. Benefits may still be its main purpose; health status cannot limit membership or access to its health coverage. Coverage must be tied to association membership. The plan must hold a license in a neighboring state and cover no more than 2,500 Tennessee-resident member-bank employees. Tennessee’s insurance commissioner must approve its home-state oversight, including financial examinations and sound reserves, and issue a Tennessee certificate of authority.
Employer health pools face taxes and waivers
Health pools created or treated as domestic must pay state insurance-premium taxes and follow filing, approval, and policyholder-protection rules. Tennessee’s insurance commissioner can waive any part of the state’s pooled-benefit or policyholder-protection rules for qualifying plans. A waiver requires reasonable and adequate oversight by the plan’s home-state insurance regulator and rests solely with the commissioner. The commissioner can also classify each employer in an approved group as self-insured to the extent considered necessary. These rules apply to pools and employers; the law does not specify a tax rate or household premium change.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
There is no primary sponsor on record.
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/3/2025
FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Adopt 3/3/2025
Yes: 32 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/25/2025
SENATE COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE
Yes: 7 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Effective date(s) 04/11/2025
5/2/2025Pub. Ch. 161
5/2/2025Signed by Governor.
4/11/2025SenateTransmitted to Governor for action.
4/3/2025SenateSigned by H. Speaker
4/2/2025HouseSigned by Senate Speaker
4/2/2025SenateEnrolled and ready for signatures
4/1/2025SenatePassed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 2
3/31/2025HouseSubst. for comp. HB.
3/31/2025HouseRcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
3/6/2025HouseEngrossed; ready for transmission to House
3/3/2025SenatePassed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0
3/3/2025SenatePlaced on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/3/2025
2/27/2025SenateRecommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2/25/2025SenatePlaced on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 2/25/2025
2/18/2025SenatePassed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
2/10/2025SenateIntroduced, Passed on First Consideration
1/27/2025SenateFiled for introduction
1/24/2025Senate
Bill Text
Enrolled / Public Chapter
Fiscal Note
Introduced
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