Tennessee House Bill HB0702

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/6/25
• Refer: 3/5/25
• Refer: 3/11/25
• Engrossed: 3/18/25
• Enrolled: 3/25/25
• Passed: 4/3/25
• Chaptered: 4/4/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 29, relative to medical laboratories.

Summary

HB0702 amends Tennessee law governing medical laboratories and collection stations. The bill provides that a collection station operated by the owner of a licensed medical laboratory does not need a separate license, regardless of where specimens are transported, so long as the laboratory owner retains ownership and oversight of the collection stations and can produce relevant non-privileged records to the board during a complaint investigation. The bill also requires a separate board-issued license for any collection station operated by a person who is not the owner of a licensed medical laboratory in Tennessee. In addition, all collection stations must comply with rules adopted by the board. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.

Impact

The bill narrows when an additional license is required for medical laboratory collection stations and clarifies the regulatory distinction between owner-operated stations and stations operated by third parties. It affects Tennessee Code Annotated Title 68, Chapter 29, Section 68-29-122(c), and gives the medical laboratory board continued oversight authority over collection stations, including access to records during complaint investigations. The practical effect is to reduce licensing burdens for integrated laboratory systems while preserving board supervision over collection-site operations.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It advanced through the House Health Subcommittee and House Health Committee with unanimous votes, and it passed the House floor and final consideration in the Senate without any recorded opposition. The voting history suggests consensus that the measure was a technical or regulatory clarification rather than a major policy change.

Contention

The main policy distinction in the bill is between collection stations owned and overseen by a licensed medical laboratory and those operated by independent persons or entities. Support appears to have centered on simplifying licensing for owner-operated stations and clarifying oversight rules, while the retained licensing requirement for third-party operators reflects concern that independent collection stations remain subject to board regulation. No specific opposition is reflected in the available committee or floor records.