Tennessee House Bill HB0186

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/16/25
• Refer: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/26/25
• Refer: 3/4/25
• Chaptered: 4/8/25
• Passed: 4/8/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 6, relative to surgical assistants.

Summary

HB0186, which became Public Chapter 59 as Senate Bill 174, amends Tennessee law governing surgical assistants. The bill updates the list of recognized surgical assistant certification bodies by adding the American Board of Surgical Assistants alongside the National Commission for Certification of Surgical Assistants and their successors. It also removes a dated statutory deadline in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 63-6-219(b)(3), eliminating the reference to compliance “by December 31, 2019.” In practical terms, the bill broadens the pathways for surgical assistants to meet state-recognized certification requirements and modernizes the statute by deleting an expired date. The measure takes effect immediately upon becoming law, reflecting an intent to avoid any gap in recognition or licensure-related administration for surgical assistants in Tennessee.

Impact

The bill amends Title 63, Chapter 6 of the Tennessee Code Annotated, affecting the statutory framework for surgical assistants. By recognizing an additional certifying organization, it may expand eligibility for individuals seeking to work as surgical assistants under Tennessee law and may affect employers, licensing authorities, and credentialing processes. Removing the obsolete deadline also updates the statute to reflect current practice and avoids reliance on a past compliance date.

Sentiment

The available legislative history shows strong support and little opposition. The House Health Subcommittee recommended passage unanimously, and the House Health Committee also recommended passage by a 18-0 vote. No committee transcript objections are provided, suggesting the bill was viewed as a straightforward professional regulation update rather than a controversial policy change.

Contention

No notable contention appears in the available record. The only substantive policy question evident from the text is whether Tennessee should recognize the American Board of Surgical Assistants in addition to the existing certifying body, but the unanimous committee votes indicate that this change was broadly accepted. The removal of the outdated 2019 deadline also appears noncontroversial and technical in nature.