Tennessee House Bill HB2598

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/3/26
• Refer: 2/5/26
• Refer: 3/4/26
• Refer: 3/17/26
• Chaptered: 5/4/26
• Passed: 5/4/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 56, Chapter 32, Part 1; Title 56, Chapter 7, Part 24; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, Chapter 5, relative to midwifery.

Summary

HB2598 is a midwifery study bill. It directs the Tennessee Commissioner of Health to use existing resources to study how other states regulate the independent practice of certified nurse midwives, with particular attention to the range of practice autonomy allowed across states. The study must also examine whether greater independence is associated with better maternal health outcomes, including maternal morbidity and mortality, and must consider geographically diverse states, maternity care deserts, provider shortages, hospital closures, recent policy changes expanding autonomy, and best-practice recommendations. The bill does not immediately change licensure or scope-of-practice rules for midwives in Tennessee. Instead, it requires the Department of Health to compile findings and recommendations into a report due by December 31, 2026, to legislative leaders and the legislative librarian. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law, but its operative effect is informational and preparatory rather than regulatory.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee law in several titles related to state government, insurance, health professions, and public health, but its substantive effect is to require a Department of Health study rather than to alter current midwifery practice standards. It affects the Commissioner of Health and, indirectly, certified nurse midwives, maternal health stakeholders, and policymakers by generating a formal report that could inform future legislation on scope of practice and maternal care access.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong support and no recorded opposition in committee: the House Health Subcommittee recommended passage 6-0, and the House Health Committee recommended passage 21-0. That unanimous committee support suggests the bill was broadly viewed as a low-conflict, information-gathering measure focused on maternal health and workforce issues.

Contention

There is no recorded committee transcript or floor debate in the provided materials, so no explicit objections are documented. The main policy issue underlying the bill is the extent to which certified nurse midwives should be allowed to practice independently, and the study is designed to examine that question through the lens of maternal outcomes, access to care, and provider shortages. Any future contention would likely center on scope-of-practice expansion, patient safety, and the role of physicians versus midwives in maternity care.