AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 63 and Title 68, relative to health care.
Summary
SB0619 amends Tennessee’s health care licensing confidentiality and public-records rules for licensed or registered providers who have had a public adverse action taken against their license or registration and were ordered to complete a peer assistance or substance use disorder treatment program. Under the bill, once the provider has completed all requirements of the program or contract, they may petition the relevant licensing board to remove the adverse-action information from the public-facing licensure verification website five years after the completion date. The bill applies only to the website display of the information; it does not erase the underlying disciplinary order.
The measure also directs the relevant board to review the request and, if approved, remove the information from the public verification site. It defines “adverse action” as a disciplinary action taken by a licensing board created under Title 63 and authorizes the Division of Health Related Boards to adopt rules to implement the law. The act takes effect immediately for rulemaking purposes and for all other purposes on July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 63-32-105 and affects the public disclosure of disciplinary records for health care professionals regulated by Tennessee licensing boards. It creates a petition process for certain providers to seek removal of adverse-action information from the public-facing licensure verification website after successful completion of substance use-related treatment or peer assistance requirements and a five-year waiting period, while preserving the order as a public record under Tennessee’s public records law. The bill therefore changes how long certain disciplinary information remains visible online, but does not eliminate the board’s underlying record of the action.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee recommended passage with amendment by an 8-0 vote, indicating no recorded opposition in committee. No committee transcript was provided, but the unanimous committee vote and final enactment suggest the bill was generally viewed favorably as a targeted professional-licensing and recovery measure.
Contention
The main policy tension is between giving health care providers a path to move beyond public stigma after completing treatment and preserving public access to disciplinary history for patient safety and transparency. Support appears to center on rehabilitation, peer assistance, and the idea that completed treatment should eventually reduce the public visibility of past adverse actions. Any concern would likely come from those who favor longer-term public disclosure of disciplinary records, but no specific opposition is reflected in the provided materials.