Tennessee House Bill HB1366

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 8; Title 35; Title 49; Title 50; Title 56; Title 66 and Title 71, relative to benefits.

Summary

HB1366 makes a narrow change to Tennessee law governing the timing of a required payment after a settlement. Specifically, it amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 8-36-503(b) by extending the deadline from 30 days to 45 days after settlement. The bill does not create a new benefit program or change eligibility; it only gives an additional 15 days for compliance with the existing post-settlement payment requirement. Because the bill is limited to one statutory deadline, its practical effect is procedural rather than substantive. It affects the administration of settlement-related benefit payments under state law and may provide additional time for responsible parties to process and remit funds after a settlement is reached. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 8-36-503(b) to lengthen the post-settlement payment deadline from 30 days to 45 days. This changes the timing requirement for parties subject to that statute, likely affecting administrators, employers, insurers, or other entities responsible for making settlement-related payments under Tennessee law. No other statutes are changed, and the bill does not alter underlying benefit rights or eligibility standards.

Sentiment

There is no recorded committee discussion or vote history in the provided materials, so the bill’s reception cannot be measured directly from debate or roll call data. Based on the text alone, the measure appears technical and low-conflict, with a narrow administrative purpose rather than a policy overhaul. The absence of recorded opposition or amendment activity suggests it may have been treated as a routine timing adjustment.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided record. The only potentially debatable issue is whether extending the deadline from 30 to 45 days could delay payment to affected recipients, versus giving responsible parties more time to complete settlement processing and avoid noncompliance. Without committee transcripts or votes, it is not possible to attribute any stated concerns to particular legislators or stakeholders.