Tennessee Senate Bill SB0065

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/25
• Engrossed: 2/20/25
• Enrolled: 4/16/25
• Passed: 4/24/25
• Chaptered: 4/29/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 4, Chapter 3, relative to the department of mental health and substance abuse services.

Summary

SB0065 makes a narrow organizational change to Tennessee law concerning the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. It removes the department from one list of state entities in Tennessee Code Annotated § 4-29-246 and adds it to another list in § 4-29-250, which are statutes governing the continuation and review of state boards, commissions, and agencies. In practical terms, the bill updates the department’s placement within the state’s statutory framework without changing its core mission or program responsibilities. The bill is administrative rather than substantive. It does not create new services, alter eligibility rules, or change funding formulas for mental health or substance use programs. Instead, it appears to be a housekeeping measure that aligns the department’s statutory status with the state’s organizational and sunset-review provisions under Title 4.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 4, Chapter 3 by adjusting how the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is listed in state law. This affects the department’s legal classification within the framework that governs state agencies and their periodic review or continuation, but it does not directly modify the department’s powers, duties, or the rights of service recipients. The practical impact is limited to state administrative law and agency structure.

Sentiment

The available legislative history suggests broad, noncontroversial support. The Senate Government Operations Committee recommended passage unanimously, with 9 yeas and 0 nays, and there is no recorded committee debate or opposition in the provided materials. The bill was enacted as Public Chapter No. 238, indicating it moved through the process without notable resistance.

Contention

No significant points of contention are evident in the provided record. Because the bill is a technical amendment affecting agency listings rather than policy substance, there is no indication of disagreement over mental health services, substance abuse treatment, or agency authority. The absence of transcript discussion and the unanimous committee vote suggest the measure was treated as routine administrative legislation.