Tennessee House Bill HB2163

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 29; Title 36; Title 63 and Title 68, relative to assisted reproductive technology.

Summary

HB2163 requires the Tennessee Commissioner of Health to use existing resources to study recent legislative developments in assisted reproductive technology in neighboring states. The study is limited to laws enacted within the last five calendar years and is intended to inform the General Assembly about how other states have addressed patient access and patient safety in the use of assisted reproductive technology. The commissioner must submit the study findings and any legislative recommendations to the chief clerks of the Senate and House and to the legislative librarian by December 31, 2026. The bill also allows the report to be transmitted electronically. It does not itself change substantive rules governing assisted reproductive technology, but instead creates a research and reporting requirement for the Department of Health.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee law in Titles 4, 29, 36, 63, and 68 only to the extent necessary to authorize the Department of Health to conduct the study and report its findings. Its practical effect is to direct state health officials to review neighboring states’ assisted reproductive technology laws and provide recommendations to lawmakers, potentially laying the groundwork for future policy changes affecting fertility clinics, patients, and related medical providers. No immediate regulatory or licensing changes are made by the bill itself.

Sentiment

With no committee transcripts or recorded votes available, the bill’s sentiment appears neutral and informational rather than controversial. The measure is framed as a fact-finding study focused on patient access and patient safety, suggesting a generally pragmatic approach to a sensitive health policy area. Because it does not directly impose new restrictions or mandates on assisted reproductive technology, it is likely to draw less immediate opposition than a substantive regulatory bill.

Contention

The main policy issue underlying the bill is how assisted reproductive technology should be regulated, especially with respect to patient access and patient safety. Any future recommendations arising from the study could become points of contention if they involve changes to fertility treatment rules, clinic oversight, parental rights, embryo handling, or insurance coverage. At present, however, the bill itself is largely noncontroversial because it only commissions a study and does not alter existing rights or obligations.