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TennesseeSB 1681114th General Assembly (2025-2026)Senate

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63 and Title 68, relative to medical facility procedures for women experiencing certain medical conditions.

Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable

Signed by Governor

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Emergency care rights for pregnant patients

Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee emergency departments, including satellite locations, must screen covered pregnant patients and provide routinely available support services. This covers patients who say they are pregnant—or appear pregnant when incapacitated—and have labor, related symptoms, or an emergency condition. Emergency conditions include symptoms that threaten serious harm to the woman’s health or her unborn child’s health without immediate care. Hospitals must provide care within their available staff and facilities to stabilize the patient, or arrange a proper transfer. They cannot delay required screening or treatment to ask about payment or insurance. Hospitals meet their duties when patients or legal representatives refuse offered care or transfer after learning the risks and benefits; hospitals must reasonably seek written refusal. The law does not expand when abortion is legal in Tennessee.

Safer hospital transfers for pregnant patients

Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee hospitals must follow safeguards when transferring pregnant patients before their emergency condition or labor is stabilized. Transfer requires an informed written request from the patient or legal representative, or medical certification that expected benefits outweigh risks. The certification must account for risks to the woman and, when applicable, her unborn child. Without a physician physically present, a qualified medical professional can certify after consulting a physician, who must later countersign. Every transfer must meet federal emergency-care standards. Hospitals with needed specialized care must accept appropriate transfers when they have capacity, as defined by federal rules. Labor emergencies include cases where delivery leaves too little time for safe transfer or transfer threatens the woman or unborn child.

Hospital staff gain protection against retaliation

Beginning July 1, 2026, hospitals cannot punish physicians or qualified medical professionals for refusing to authorize covered transfers before stabilization. The protection covers decisions made in good faith using reasonable clinical judgment about a pregnant patient’s emergency condition. Hospitals also cannot punish employees for reporting violations of these emergency-care requirements.

Provider penalties include good-faith care protections

For conduct on or after July 1, 2026, Tennessee’s Health Facilities Commission can investigate and enforce facility violations. The Department of Health and licensing boards can investigate and enforce violations by licensed professionals. Hospitals and satellite emergency departments face up to $50,000 per violation, capped at one hospital penalty per patient encounter. Hospitals with fewer than 100 beds face a lower cap of $25,000. Physicians who knowingly and willfully violate the law face up to $50,000 per violation and possible license sanctions. Penalties also cover false transfer certifications and misrepresentations, including certifications a physician knew or should have known were false. An on-call physician’s failure to appear does not give the hospital a blanket exemption from penalties. Clinicians and employees acting in good faith with reasonable clinical judgment based on available information are protected from penalties and adverse action. State penalties and license sanctions do not apply to conduct already subject to specified federal emergency-care enforcement, settlements, corrective plans, or final determinations.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

There is no primary sponsor on record.

Cosponsors

  • Raumesh Akbari

    Democrat • Senate

  • Heidi Campbell

    Democrat • Senate

  • Mark Pody

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 227 • No: 22

House vote • 4/22/2026

FLOOR VOTE: MESSAGE CALENDAR MOTION TO ADOPT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT 4/22/2026

Yes: 82 • No: 7

Senate vote • 4/20/2026

FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Adopt Conference Committee Report 4/20/2026

Yes: 33 • No: 0

House vote • 3/30/2026

FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/30/2026

Yes: 80 • No: 6

Senate vote • 2/26/2026

FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 2/26/2026

Yes: 26 • No: 6

Senate vote • 2/18/2026

SENATE HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE

Yes: 6 • No: 3

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

    5/27/2026

  2. Pub. Ch. 1080

    5/27/2026

  3. Signed by Governor.

    5/22/2026Senate

  4. Transmitted to Governor for action.

    5/11/2026Senate

  5. Signed by H. Speaker

    5/7/2026House

  6. Signed by Senate Speaker

    4/30/2026Senate

  7. Enrolled and ready for signatures

    4/30/2026Senate

  8. Conf. comm. report adopted, Ayes 82, Nays 7 PNV 1

    4/22/2026House

  9. H. Placed on Message Calendar for 4/21/2026

    4/20/2026House

  10. Conference Committee report adopted,

    4/20/2026Senate

  11. Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/20/2026

    4/17/2026Senate

  12. Conf. comm. appointed. (Reps. Helton-Haynes, Gant, Freeman, Love)

    4/15/2026House

  13. H. Placed on Message Calendar for 4/15/2026

    4/14/2026House

  14. Conference Committee appointed. (Lamar, Massey, Crowe)

    4/13/2026Senate

  15. Senate refused to recede from its non-concurrence.

    4/13/2026Senate

  16. Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/13/2026

    4/10/2026Senate

  17. H. refused to recede from H. am. no. 1

    4/7/2026House

  18. H. Placed on Message Calendar for 4/7/2026

    4/6/2026House

  19. Senate refused to concur in amendment

    4/2/2026Senate

  20. Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/2/2026

    3/31/2026Senate

  21. Passed H., as am., Ayes 80, Nays 6, PNV 2

    3/30/2026House

  22. H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0811)

    3/30/2026House

  23. Subst. for comp. HB.

    3/30/2026House

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

    3/2/2026House

  25. Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

    2/26/2026Senate

Bill Text

  • HA0811

    3/30/2026

    PDF

  • Enrolled / Public Chapter

    PDF

  • Fiscal Note

    PDF

  • Introduced

    PDF

  • SA0493

    PDF

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