Tennessee House Bill HB1563

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/13/26
• Refer: 1/21/26
• Refer: 3/2/26
• Chaptered: 4/6/26
• Passed: 4/6/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 63, Chapter 8, relative to the board of optometry.

Summary

HB1563 is a technical measure concerning the Tennessee Board of Optometry. It amends the state’s general boards and commissions law and the optometry chapter to ensure the Board of Optometry is properly listed among the state entities subject to statutory recognition under Title 4, Chapter 29, while also updating the cross-reference in Title 63, Chapter 8 that creates the board. The bill does not appear to change the board’s powers, duties, licensing authority, or regulatory scope. Instead, it makes a housekeeping-style statutory correction so the Board of Optometry is included in the relevant list of boards created by law and remains aligned with the state’s administrative code structure. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 4-29-247 by deleting subdivision (9) and adds the Board of Optometry, created by § 63-8-103, to § 4-29-252. In practical terms, this updates the state’s statutory inventory of boards and commissions and confirms the Board of Optometry’s place within Tennessee law, but it does not create new regulatory requirements or alter optometry licensing rules.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House Government Operations Committee unanimously, was placed on the consent calendar, and then passed the House floor 93-0. The absence of recorded opposition in the available history suggests general agreement that the measure was a routine technical update rather than a substantive policy change.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention around HB1563. The available votes show no recorded opposition at the committee or floor level, and there are no committee transcripts indicating debate. Any discussion likely centered on the administrative need to correct or update statutory references for the Board of Optometry rather than on policy disagreements affecting optometrists, licensing, or professional regulation.