Tennessee House Bill HB1914

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/22/26
• Refer: 2/4/26
• Refer: 3/3/26
• Refer: 3/11/26
• Refer: 4/15/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, Chapter 7, relative to state veterans' homes.

Summary

HB1914 revises Tennessee law governing state veterans’ homes. It requires each state veterans’ home to be eligible for and receive federal Veterans Administration per diem payments for qualified residents, and it clarifies that these homes may provide and be paid for additional services beyond skilled nursing care, so long as those services are authorized by state or federal law and support honorably discharged veterans. The bill also broadens the statutory purpose language from “state veterans’ homes” to “state veterans’ homes and other services,” reflecting a wider scope of operations. The bill further updates the Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes Board’s authority over facilities and contracts. It directs the board to give preference to publicly owned land when selecting sites, allows purchase of land only if suitable public land is unavailable, and removes one existing subdivision in the board’s powers section. It also clarifies that contracts for operating the homes and providing services are within the board’s authority, while real property acquisition and improvement contracts must still receive advance approval from the state building commission and the board. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, Chapter 7, affecting the governance, financing, and service authority of state veterans’ homes. It strengthens the homes’ ability to draw federal per diem funding, expands permissible services and payment streams, and refines the board’s authority over site selection, contracting, and real property transactions. The practical effect is to support veterans’ home operations and potentially broaden the range of care and support services available to eligible veterans.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong and unanimous support at every stage, with no recorded opposition in subcommittee, committee, or on the House floor. The bill moved on a consent calendar and passed 95-0 on third consideration, suggesting it was viewed as noncontroversial and broadly beneficial to veterans and the operation of state veterans’ homes.

Contention

No committee transcripts are available, and the recorded votes show no substantive opposition. The only issues that could have prompted discussion are administrative rather than ideological: preference for publicly owned land over purchased land, the scope of services state veterans’ homes may provide and be paid for, and the requirement for state building commission approval for certain real property contracts. However, the unanimous votes indicate these points did not generate notable contention in the legislative process.