Tennessee Senate Bill SB0922

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 33; Title 63 and Title 68, relative to healthcare providers.

Summary

SB0922 requires the Tennessee commissioner of health to conduct a study on how to create or streamline pathways for individuals with military medical training, specifically noncommissioned officers in the U.S. armed forces, to enter primary care careers in Tennessee. The study must examine administrative barriers in current law or rule, identify educational requirements where military training may be equivalent to existing licensure training, and make recommendations for pathways into roles such as physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and other primary care providers. It also directs the commissioner to consider recruitment methods for veterans with medical training and any other relevant issues. The bill does not itself change licensure standards or create new credentials. Instead, it directs the Department of Health to use existing resources to study the issue and report findings and recommendations to legislative leaders and the legislative librarian by December 31, 2025. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill would affect Tennessee law by adding a new study mandate for the commissioner of health under Titles 4, 33, 63, and 68, but it does not directly amend licensing statutes or regulatory requirements for healthcare providers. Its practical impact is to generate recommendations that could later inform changes to professional licensure, workforce recruitment, and recognition of military medical training for primary care occupations.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be a low-conflict workforce and veterans' access bill with a generally supportive policy direction. Its focus on helping veterans transition into healthcare careers and addressing primary care shortages suggests a favorable reception, though no formal sentiment can be inferred from hearings or roll calls because none are provided.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is whether military medical training should be treated as equivalent to civilian educational and licensure pathways for primary care professions, which could raise questions about standards, scope of practice, and patient safety. Another possible issue is whether the Department of Health can complete the study using existing resources without additional funding, but no specific opposition or stakeholder objections are reflected in the available record.