PRIA Logo™
TennesseeSB 0955114th General Assembly (2025-2026)SenateWALLET

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, relative to rights of conscience and free speech.

Sponsored By: Ferrell Haile (Republican)

Became Law

Health Care

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Free speech protections for providers

Government health regulators cannot punish you for speech, expression, or association that the First Amendment protects. They can only act if they prove by clear and convincing evidence that your speech directly caused physical harm to a patient you treated within the last three years. Agencies also cannot deny you a certification because of protected speech when you were not giving medical advice or treatment to a specific patient.

Provider whistleblower and lawsuit protections

Providers are protected from discrimination when they report, or are about to report, suspected violations to their employer, the state attorney general, a state agency that enforces these rights, the HHS Office for Civil Rights, or another federal agency. They are also protected when they testify, assist, or take part in a proceeding. Disclosures about legal or ethical violations, gross mismanagement, waste, abuse of authority, unsafe practices, or specific dangers to public health are protected unless another law bans the disclosure. Anyone harmed by a violation can sue for a court order, damages, costs, and attorney fees; damages can be cumulative. Extra burden or cost on other providers is not a defense. A provider cannot be sued or criminally charged just because they refused a procedure for conscience reasons.

Providers can refuse some procedures

Tennessee healthcare providers can refuse to do or pay for a specific procedure that violates their conscience. The right applies only to the particular procedures they identify, and duties for non-conflicted care remain. A payer cannot deny payment if a contract requires it. The protections do not cover care governed by federal law, including the federal emergency care law (EMTALA). They also do not apply when a patient is in imminent danger of harming themselves or others. The law does not limit a religious provider’s ability to make staffing, contracting, admitting, or credentialing decisions if it publicly identifies as religious and follows written policies for its religious mission.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Ferrell Haile

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Tom Hatcher

    Republican • Senate

  • Joey Hensley

    Republican • Senate

  • Ed Jackson

    Republican • Senate

  • Jack Johnson

    Republican • Senate

  • Shane Reeves

    Republican • Senate

  • Paul Rose

    Republican • Senate

  • John Stevens

    Republican • Senate

  • Page Walley

    Republican • Senate

  • Dawn White

    Republican • Senate

  • Ken Yager

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 201 • No: 56

Senate vote • 4/14/2025

FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 1 4/14/2025

Yes: 25 • No: 6

House vote • 4/7/2025

FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/7/2025

Yes: 71 • No: 24

House vote • 4/7/2025

FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/7/2025

Yes: 71 • No: 22

Senate vote • 3/6/2025

FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/6/2025

Yes: 27 • No: 3

Senate vote • 2/26/2025

SENATE HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE

Yes: 7 • No: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Pub. Ch. 266

    4/29/2025

  2. Effective date(s) 04/24/2025

    4/29/2025

  3. Signed by Governor.

    4/24/2025Senate

  4. Signed by H. Speaker

    4/21/2025House

  5. Transmitted to Governor for action.

    4/21/2025Senate

  6. Signed by Senate Speaker

    4/17/2025Senate

  7. Enrolled and ready for signatures

    4/16/2025Senate

  8. Concurred, Ayes 25, Nays 6 (Amendment 1 - HA0177)

    4/14/2025Senate

  9. Sponsor(s) Added.

    4/14/2025Senate

  10. Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/14/2025

    4/11/2025Senate

  11. Subst. for comp. HB.

    4/7/2025House

  12. H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0177)

    4/7/2025House

  13. Passed H., as am., Ayes 71, Nays 24, PNV 0

    4/7/2025House

  14. Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

    3/10/2025House

  15. Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0020)

    3/6/2025Senate

  16. Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 3

    3/6/2025Senate

  17. Sponsor(s) Added.

    3/6/2025Senate

  18. Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

    3/6/2025Senate

  19. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/6/2025

    3/4/2025Senate

  20. Sponsor(s) Added.

    2/26/2025Senate

  21. Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0

    2/26/2025Senate

  22. Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/26/2025

    2/19/2025Senate

  23. Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

    2/12/2025Senate

  24. Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

    2/10/2025Senate

  25. Filed for introduction

    2/5/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • HA0177 (Substitute)

    4/7/2025

    PDF

  • Enrolled / Public Chapter

    PDF

  • Fiscal Note

    PDF

  • Introduced

    PDF

  • SA0020

    PDF

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation