Tennessee Senate Bill SB1122

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33 and Title 49, relative to the temporary youth mental health service program.

Summary

SB1122 establishes a temporary youth mental health service program within the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to improve access to mental health care for youth under 18. The program is designed to connect youth with mental health screenings and follow-up services through a portal, including services related to needs identified after the COVID-19 pandemic and substance use disorder services. Providers participating in the program must maintain confidentiality, and the department may reimburse up to three sessions per youth client, with the option to authorize additional sessions. The bill requires the department to create or contract for a web-based portal by August 1, 2025, that can conduct age-appropriate screenings, list provider availability, connect youth to providers based on insurance or payment source when applicable, and allow scheduling for telehealth or in-person appointments. It also directs the department to conduct statewide outreach and report aggregate program data to legislative committees by July 1, 2026. The program is temporary and is set to be repealed on July 1, 2026.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 33 by creating a new part for the temporary youth mental health service program and amends Title 49 to redirect use of funds from the K-12 mental health special reserve account to support the program. It authorizes the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to administer reimbursements, set provider eligibility and reimbursement rates, promulgate rules, and use a portal to facilitate access to care. The measure affects youth, mental health providers, telehealth services, and the state education and mental health funding structure by temporarily repurposing reserve funds for this program.

Sentiment

The bill’s text reflects strong support for expanding youth mental health access, with an emphasis on urgency, statewide outreach, and use of existing funds to get services to children quickly. Because no committee transcripts or votes are provided, there is no recorded public debate in the supplied materials, but the structure of the bill suggests a generally favorable policy posture toward increasing access to care and using telehealth as a delivery method. The temporary nature of the program and reporting requirement indicate an intent to test or pilot the approach while maintaining legislative oversight.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are the use of K-12 mental health reserve funds for a new temporary program, the administrative burden on the department to build or procure a portal and manage reimbursements, and the scope of services covered, including whether three sessions per youth is sufficient. Another possible issue is the balance between broad access and insurance-based routing, since the portal must connect insured youth to providers who accept their coverage while also allowing appointments regardless of payment source. No specific objections or opposing viewpoints are included in the provided committee or vote history.