# Tennessee SB 0955: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, relative to rights of conscience and free speech. Tennessee SB 0955, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, relative to rights of conscience and free speech., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2025-04-29 (Effective date(s) 04/24/2025) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0955-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Tennessee SB 0955 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, relative to rights of conscience and free speech. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-05 - Last action: 2025-04-29, Effective date(s) 04/24/2025 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 10 - Subjects: Health Care - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 5 (201 yes, 56 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Court remedies enforce healthcare rights: benefit, low. People and organizations harmed by violations of this law can sue in state court. Courts can order violations stopped, declare rights, and award damages, court costs, and reasonable lawyer fees. Damages add to other available remedies. Extra burdens or costs for another provider do not excuse a vio… - Healthcare providers gain free speech protections: benefit, low. Tennessee healthcare regulators cannot reprimand or sanction providers for speech, expression, or association protected by the First Amendment. They also cannot deny, revoke, or threaten licenses, certifications, or registrations for those activities. An exception requires clear and convincing evid… - Healthcare whistleblowers gain protection against retaliation: benefit, low. Healthcare providers are protected from discrimination for reporting conduct they reasonably believe violates this law or joining related proceedings. Protection also covers disclosures they reasonably believe show legal or ethical violations, gross mismanagement or waste, or abuse of authority. Re… - Healthcare providers can refuse some care: mixed, low. Effective upon becoming law, Tennessee protects healthcare professionals, institutions, and payers that refuse specific services against their sincerely held beliefs. Participation includes referrals, counseling, prescribing, and other steps in care, so patients may face fewer options for those ser… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: Tom Hatcher (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Joey Hensley (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Ed Jackson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Johnson - Cosponsor: Reeves - Cosponsor: Paul Rose (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Stevens - Cosponsor: Page Walley (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: White - Cosponsor: Ken Yager (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-14 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 1 4/14/2025 | pass | 25 | 6 | | | 2025-04-07 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/7/2025 | pass | 71 | 24 | | | 2025-04-07 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/7/2025 | pass | 71 | 22 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/6/2025 | pass | 27 | 3 | | | 2025-02-26 | Senate | SENATE HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE | pass | 7 | 1 | | ## Actions (25) - 2025-04-29: Effective date(s) 04/24/2025 - 2025-04-29: Pub. Ch. 266 - 2025-04-24: Signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Transmitted to Governor for action. (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Signed by H. Speaker (House) - 2025-04-17: Signed by Senate Speaker (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Enrolled and ready for signatures (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Concurred, Ayes 25, Nays 6 (Amendment 1 - HA0177) (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/14/2025 (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Passed H., as am., Ayes 71, Nays 24, PNV 0 (House) - 2025-04-07: H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0177) (House) - 2025-04-07: Subst. for comp. HB. (House) - 2025-03-10: Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk. (House) - 2025-03-06: Engrossed; ready for transmission to House (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 3 (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0020) (Senate) - 2025-03-04: Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/6/2025 (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0 (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/26/2025 (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Introduced, Passed on First Consideration (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Filed for introduction (Senate) ## Bill text - HA0177 (Substitute), 2025-04-07: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0177.pdf) - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0266.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB0955.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0955.pdf) - SA0020: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0020.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0855: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12; Title 13; Title 29; Title 54; Title 64; Title 65; Title 68 and… (signed) - SB 0539: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 13; Title 48; Title 49; Title 67 and Title 68, relative to low-income housing. (signed) - SB 0254: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal law. (signed) - SB 0198: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes. (signed) - HB 2666: AN ACT to amend Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended by Chapter 85 of the Private Acts of 1987; Chapter 74 of the Private Acts of 1995; Chapter… (signed) - HB 2670: AN ACT to amend Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended by Chapter 85 of the Private Acts of 2004; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative t… (signed) ## Sources - [HA0177 (Substitute) (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0177.pdf) - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0266.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB0955.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0955.pdf) - [SA0020 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0020.pdf) ## Related - [SB 0855: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; T…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0855-2025-2026) - [SB 0539: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 13; Title 48; Title 49…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0539-2025-2026) - [SB 0254: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Titl…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0254-2025-2026) - [SB 0198: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0198-2025-2026) - [HB 2666: AN ACT to amend Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended by Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2666-2025-2026) - [HB 2670: AN ACT to amend Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended by Chapter 8…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2670-2025-2026) - [Tennessee bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee/bills) - [Tennessee state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0955-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).