Title 68, Health, Safety and Environmental Protection

(a) In order to promote medical and surgical science, and to provide for the disposition of unclaimed bodies of persons who die in any charitable or penal institutions, or are delivered to a public official for the purpose of burial at public expense, the chief medical examiner a…

(a) Whenever a person dies in any hospital, infirmary, mental health institute, poorhouse, penitentiary, house of correction, workhouse, jail, or other charitable or penal institution that is supported in whole or in part at public expense, or whenever a body is delivered to a pu…

(a) The chief medical examiner, upon receiving the bodies or notification of the availability of the bodies as provided in this chapter, shall distribute them among the medical, dental and anthropologic institutions of this state regularly chartered and in active operation as pre…

(a) The institution receiving a body shall use it only within this state and for the purpose of medical and dental, surgical or anatomical study and for the promotion of science alone. (b) If, at any time before or after such use of the body, it is claimed for burial by any relat…

(a) As used in this section, “DD Form 93” means the form used by the department of defense as a record of emergency data required to be completed by military personnel, a portion of which is used by military personnel to designate the person authorized to direct disposition of th…

Any person, firm, board, corporation or association who violates any provision of §§ 68-4-102 — 68-4-109 commits a Class B misdemeanor.

No expense that may be incurred in the execution of any part of §§ 68-4-102 — 68-4-109 shall be a charge upon the state or any county or municipality, or any officer or agent thereof, but all such expenses, whether for compensation, salary, transportation or otherwise shall be bo…

The chief medical examiner or the chief medical examiner's representative, any medical school, dental school, anthropologic school, or other person or organization that in good faith complies with §§ 68-4-102 — 68-4-109 shall be granted immunity from civil suit for damages in per…

(a) The department of health is empowered to prepare suitable regulations governing the disinterment of dead bodies for the protection of public health. (b) The department of health may not require permits for the disinterment of a wrongfully buried decedent if the disinterment i…

(a) A physician holding an unlimited license to practice medicine under the laws of Tennessee is deemed to have been legally authorized to perform an autopsy upon the body of a deceased person, when the autopsy has been consented to by the person assuming custody of the body for …

A rigid receptacle or rigid container shall not be a mandatory requirement for the burial, entombment, or other final disposition of the remains of a person who was not more than twelve (12) years of age at the time of death.

(1) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the coroner, medical investigator or county medical examiner may direct the cremation of an unclaimed dead body; provided, that:(1) Proper notice is given in accordance with § 68-4-103; and(2) The body is held for the time period provi…

Whenever any case of communicable disease exists, except it shall not embrace any venereal disease, such as gonorrhea or syphilis, or is even suspected to exist in any household, it is the duty of the head of the household, or any other person in the household possessing knowledg…

Whenever any physician, surgeon or practitioner of medicine knows or suspects that any person whom the physician, surgeon or practitioner of medicine has been called to visit, or who has been brought to the physician, surgeon or practitioner of medicine for examination, or any ot…

It is the duty of all municipal or county health authorities, without delay, upon receiving the notice pursuant to § 68-5-102 immediately to proceed to carry out such rules and regulations as the department of health may prescribe, having for their object the prevention and restr…

(a) (1) It is the duty of the local health authorities, on receipt of a report of a case, or suspected case, of disease declared to be communicable, contagious, or one which has been declared by the commissioner of health to be subject to isolation or quarantine, to confirm or es…

(a) It is the duty of each county board of health to establish one (1) or more clinics in each county for the purpose of providing vaccinations or inoculations, or both, to prevent the introduction and spread of communicable diseases in the county. Each county board of health sha…

Any physician fraudulently giving a certificate of sickness or of vaccination to prevent vaccination commits a Class C misdemeanor.

It is the duty of each city or county board of health to make such reports, including special reports within their jurisdiction, as the state department of health may require, in such manner, form and times as may be set out in the rules and regulations of the department.

(a) Any person mentioned in this part, unless the penalty is prescribed in this part, who willfully neglects or refuses to comply with any of the provisions of this part, commits a Class C misdemeanor. Upon complaint from any health authority, it is the duty of the district attor…

Whenever a local board or department of health, either municipal or county, willfully neglects or refuses to comply with this part, and it is apparent that an epidemic of a communicable disease is threatened to invade other municipalities or counties, it then becomes the duty of …

In accordance with the latest recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices of the centers for disease control and prevention, during the postpartum period and prior to discharge, each hospital shall provide parents of newborns educational information on per…

(a) In accordance with the latest recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices of the centers for disease control and prevention, each hospital shall between the dates of August 1 through March 31 and prior to patient discharge, provide to patients or infor…

(a) An obstetrical provider who treats a prenatal patient on at least two (2) different occasions shall make available information and instruction concerning the appropriate use and techniques of infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to at least one (1) future parent or care…

(a) As used in this section, “CMV” means cytomegalovirus. (b) If a healthcare provider as defined by § 63-6-703, who assumes responsibility for the prenatal care of either pregnant women during gestation or women who may become pregnant, has determined that a patient is at risk o…

(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Chronic Disease Prevention Act.” (b) By no later than October 1, 2019, the speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the commissioner of health, and the governor shall establish a task force to stu…

On or before July 1, 2025, the commissioner of health shall add alpha-gal syndrome to the department of health’s published list of reportable diseases and conditions, the occurrence of which must be reported to the department by a healthcare provider pursuant to administrative ru…

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Birthing centers” has the same meaning as defined in § 68-11-201;(2) “Department” means the department of health; and(3) “Hospitals” has the same meaning as defined in § 68-11-201(31)(A) and (B). (1) “Birthing centers” has the same meaning as defi…

(a) It is the duty of any physician, nurse or midwife who assists and is in charge at the birth of any infant, or has the care of the infant after birth, to treat the eyes of the infant with a prophylaxis to prevent ophthalmia neonatorum or infections leading to blindness. The tr…

(a) (1) The general assembly declares that, as a matter of public policy of this state and in the interest of public health, every newborn infant shall be tested for phenylketonuria, hypothyroidism, galactosemia and other metabolic/genetic defects that would result in intellectua…

All state departments, including the department of human services, the department of mental health and substance abuse services, the department of disability and aging, and county and municipal health departments and education departments, shall cooperate with the department in c…

Nothing in this part shall be construed to require the testing of or medical treatment for the minor child of any person who files with the department a signed, written statement that such tests or medical treatment conflict with the person's religious tenets and practices, affir…

Any person violating this part or parts of this chapter or the rules promulgated pursuant thereto, relative to testing of newborn infants, commits a Class C misdemeanor.

The department of health shall provide a link on the department's internet website to the websites of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for accessing the Guidelines for Perinatal Care regarding the indications for scree…

A newborn screening specimen taken for testing pursuant to this part or part 5 of this chapter shall be kept for one (1) year to permit time for the infant's physician to request additional tests. After one (1) year, both the specimen and the form containing the identifying infor…

(1) As used in parts 4 and 5 of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Birth defects” means those abnormalities of body structure or function present at birth that adversely affect the intellectual capacity, health or abilities of affected individuals;(2) “Commi…

(a) The department shall establish a statewide genetics program to ensure the availability of genetic services to citizens of the state who need them for the prevention and treatment of intellectual disability or other physical dysfunctions. (b) The program shall include comprehe…

(a) The commissioner shall appoint a committee to consult with the department in the administration of parts 4 and 5 of this chapter. (b) The committee shall be composed of one (1) representative from each regional genetic and each regional sickle cell center established pursuant…

(a) (1) Genetic and other testing services provided for by parts 4 and 5 of this chapter shall be provided only to:(A) Born children;(B) Unborn children whose testing would result in treatment;(C) Men;(D) Nonpregnant women; and(E) Those pregnant women whose testing would result i…

The commissioner shall have the authority to formalize agreements with agencies in other states to provide services as may be needed.

(a) The general assembly finds and declares that birth defects represent problems of public health importance about which too little is known; that these conditions impose enormous physical, emotional, social, educational and financial burdens on individuals, families, communitie…

On or before January 1, 2013, the genetic advisory committee is directed to develop a screening program for critical cyanotic congenital heart disease for the panel of screens authorized for newborns under § 68-5-504 that makes use of pulse oximetry.

The information distributed to the family pursuant to §§ 68-5-504(b)(7) and 68-5-506(b)(3) shall be provided to the family before any blood sample for testing is drawn from the newborn. The pamphlet shall disclose the exemption from testing or treatment of a child pursuant to § 6…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Approved laboratory” means a publicly or privately operated laboratory approved by the department according to its rules, governing the approval and licensing of laboratories for the purposes of this part;(2) “C…

(a) Every physician, surgeon, or other person permitted by law to attend a pregnant woman during gestation shall, in the case of each woman so attended, take or cause to be taken a sample of the blood of the woman at the time of first examination and visit or within ten (10) days…