Tennessee House Bill HB0232

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/25
• Refer: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/10/25
• Engrossed: 2/20/25
• Enrolled: 2/25/25
• Passed: 3/17/25
• Chaptered: 3/24/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 63, Chapter 13, relative to the board of occupational therapy.

Summary

HB 232 makes a narrow administrative change to Tennessee law governing the Board of Occupational Therapy. It removes the board from one of the statutory lists of state entities in Title 4 and adds it to another list that identifies boards and commissions created under Title 63, Chapter 13. The bill does not change the board’s licensing powers, duties, or regulatory authority; it primarily updates the state’s codified reference to the board so the statutory organization is consistent. In practical terms, the measure is a housekeeping bill that aligns the Board of Occupational Therapy with the state’s general provisions for occupational licensing boards. It takes effect immediately upon becoming law, reflecting the legislature’s view that the change is technical and noncontroversial.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 4-29-246 and 4-29-250 to delete the Board of Occupational Therapy from one statutory subsection and add it to another, thereby updating how the board is listed in the state code. This affects the board’s placement within Tennessee’s statutory framework but does not appear to alter substantive occupational therapy regulation, licensure standards, or disciplinary authority. The main parties affected are the Board of Occupational Therapy and, indirectly, the state agencies and practitioners governed by Title 63, Chapter 13.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been received very positively and without opposition. It passed the House Government Operations Committee unanimously, then passed the House on the consent calendar with 89 yeas and 0 nays, and later received a unanimous 33-0 vote on adoption. The voting pattern suggests broad bipartisan agreement that the measure was routine and noncontroversial.

Contention

There is little to no visible contention around HB 232. No committee transcript concerns are available, and the unanimous votes indicate no recorded opposition over the bill’s technical nature. The only likely point of discussion would be the statutory reclassification of the Board of Occupational Therapy within Tennessee’s code, but the available record shows no disagreement about that change.