Tennessee Senate Bill SB0557

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/30/25
• Chaptered: 5/8/25
• Passed: 5/8/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, Chapter 5, relative to the nursing home assessment.

Summary

SB0557 amends Tennessee’s nursing home assessment law in Title 71, Chapter 5 by updating a series of dates and fiscal-year references from FY 2024-2025 to FY 2025-2026. The bill changes the operative period for the assessment provisions from July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025 to July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, and makes corresponding date substitutions throughout the statute. It also extends the sunset/termination date in the law from June 30, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Substantively, the bill does not appear to redesign the nursing home assessment program or alter the underlying assessment structure; rather, it continues the existing framework for another fiscal year. The practical effect is to keep the assessment authority and related payment provisions in place for nursing facilities during FY 2025-2026, preserving the revenue mechanism tied to the state’s long-term care financing structure. The bill appears to have been noncontroversial. It passed the Senate Health and Welfare Committee 9-0, the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee 10-0, and the full Senate on a 32-0 floor vote, indicating broad bipartisan support and no recorded opposition in the available voting history. There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. Because the bill is a date-extension measure, any concerns would likely relate to the continued financial burden on nursing homes or the policy choice to maintain the assessment, but no such objections are reflected in the committee or floor votes provided. The legislative action suggests consensus around extending the program for another year without major policy changes.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 71-5-1002, 71-5-1003, and 71-5-1010 to extend the nursing home assessment provisions and related fiscal-year references through June 30, 2026. It preserves the existing assessment framework for nursing facilities for FY 2025-2026, affecting nursing homes subject to the assessment and the state revenue/financing structure tied to long-term care funding.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment appears strongly favorable and routine. The bill advanced unanimously through both relevant Senate committees and passed the Senate 32-0, suggesting broad agreement that the assessment should be extended for another year. The absence of recorded dissent indicates the measure was viewed as a straightforward continuation rather than a controversial policy change.

Contention

No notable contention is reflected in the available committee or floor votes. The only plausible area of disagreement would be the continued imposition of the nursing home assessment on providers, which can affect facility finances and Medicaid-related funding policy, but no member opposition or debate is included in the record provided.