AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, Chapter 1, Part 2, relative to the "Tennessee National Guard Servicemember's Medical Readiness Act."
Summary
HB0479 creates the “Tennessee National Guard Servicemember’s Medical Readiness Act” and establishes a Tennessee National Guard TRICARE premium reimbursement program within the military department. Under the bill, the military department may provide reimbursement grants to eligible Tennessee National Guard members for premiums paid for TRICARE Reserve Select coverage and/or TRICARE dental coverage, so long as the member is eligible for those federal programs and is not receiving civilian employer health or dental coverage. The bill also requires the adjutant general to adopt and publish policies and guidelines to administer the program.
The bill is structured as a reimbursement program rather than a direct entitlement and expressly states that it is not an appropriation. No funds may be obligated or spent unless the General Assembly specifically appropriates money in the general appropriations act. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and it also provides that if any reimbursable premium costs are later paid or covered by the federal government, the state reimbursement must stop for that portion.
Impact
HB0479 amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 58, Chapter 1, Part 2 by adding a new section governing National Guard medical readiness support. It authorizes, but does not itself fund, a state reimbursement program for TRICARE Reserve Select and TRICARE dental premiums for qualifying Guard members, thereby creating a new administrative authority for the military department and adjutant general. The practical effect depends on future appropriations, and the bill limits duplication with federal benefits by excluding amounts later reimbursed by the federal government.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received strong bipartisan support and moved through the legislative process unanimously at every recorded committee and floor vote. The available vote history shows no recorded opposition in subcommittee, committee, or on the floor, suggesting broad agreement with the goal of supporting National Guard servicemembers’ access to health and dental coverage. The lack of committee transcript material also indicates no documented public controversy in the provided record.
Contention
The main policy issue inherent in the bill is fiscal rather than ideological: it authorizes a reimbursement program but explicitly does not appropriate money, so implementation depends on whether the General Assembly later funds it. Another potential point of administration is eligibility and coordination with existing coverage, since the program is limited to Guard members who are eligible for TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE dental and who are not receiving civilian employer coverage. The bill also requires the adjutant general to set rules, which leaves program details to agency policy rather than statute.
Crossfiled
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, Chapter 1, Part 2, relative to the "Tennessee National Guard Servicemember's Medical Readiness Act."
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, Chapter 1, Part 2, relative to the "Tennessee National Guard Servicemember's Medical Readiness Act."