AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 41; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to the use of drugs for the treatment of pain.
Summary
HB1741 creates a new rule for the Tennessee Department of Correction regarding pain medications used in correctional facilities. The department is authorized to adopt or amend a formulary for prison healthcare, but it must ensure that FDA-approved non-opioid pain medications are not disadvantaged or discouraged in coverage compared with opioid or narcotic pain drugs. The bill also makes clear that the department may still prefer one opioid over another opioid, or one non-opioid over another non-opioid, so long as non-opioids are not treated less favorably simply because they are non-opioid.
The bill applies to non-opioid medications once they are FDA-approved for pain treatment or management, even if the department has not separately reviewed them for formulary inclusion. It also applies to drugs provided through healthcare vendor contracts in correctional facilities. The act takes effect January 1, 2027, and amends Tennessee law in Title 41 governing corrections, with related implications for correctional healthcare procurement and medication coverage practices.
Impact
HB1741 adds a new statutory requirement for the Department of Correction’s medication formulary process, limiting how pain medications may be covered in prisons and jails operated by or on behalf of the department. It does not ban opioids, but it requires parity in formulary treatment so that FDA-approved non-opioid pain medications cannot be disfavored relative to opioid or narcotic alternatives. The bill affects correctional healthcare policy, vendor contracts, and the department’s internal drug-list management, while leaving room for preference among drugs within the same category.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad support and little visible opposition. It advanced unanimously through the Insurance Subcommittee, the House Insurance Committee, and both floor votes, with no recorded dissenting votes. The vote pattern suggests the measure was viewed as a practical correctional healthcare policy rather than a controversial change.
Contention
The main policy issue is how the Department of Correction should balance opioid and non-opioid pain treatment in its formulary. Support for the bill appears to center on improving access to non-opioid pain management and reducing reliance on opioids in correctional settings. Any potential concern would likely involve administrative flexibility for the department and healthcare vendors, but the bill preserves discretion to prefer one drug over another within the same class, which appears to have reduced opposition.
Crossfiled
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 41; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to the use of drugs for the treatment of pain.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 41; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to the use of drugs for the treatment of pain.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to the use of drugs for the treatment of pain.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to the use of drugs for the treatment of pain.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 33; Title 39; Title 49; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to mental health.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 33; Title 39; Title 49; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to mental health.