Tennessee Senate Bill SB1153

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33; Title 39; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68, relative to healthcare services.

Summary

SB1153 restricts physicians and podiatrists from treating themselves or their immediate family members, with limited exceptions. The bill defines “immediate family” broadly and requires records to be kept for any treatment provided under the section. In general, a physician or podiatrist may not prescribe, dispense, administer, or otherwise treat themselves or close family members, except in minor, self-limited, short-term, or urgent emergency situations. The bill also creates a strict prohibition on prescribing, dispensing, or administering scheduled drugs to oneself or immediate family members. A narrow exception allows a physician to treat immediate family within the physician’s regular scope of practice if no other physician offering healthcare services is located within 30 miles of the physician’s primary practice site. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

SB1153 would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 63 by adding a new professional conduct restriction for physicians and podiatrists, limiting self-treatment and treatment of immediate family members. It would affect licensed physicians and podiatrists by imposing documentation requirements and by barring most family treatment and all scheduled-drug prescribing to self or family, while preserving a limited rural-access exception. The bill does not create a new licensing category, but it would change the standards governing medical practice and professional discipline in Tennessee.

Sentiment

The available vote history suggests generally favorable committee sentiment toward the bill. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee recommended passage with amendments by an 8-1 vote, indicating broad support with some reservation. No committee transcript is available, so the discussion record does not show detailed arguments, but the vote pattern suggests the measure was viewed positively overall.

Contention

The main points of contention likely center on whether the bill goes too far in restricting physicians and podiatrists from treating family members, especially in urgent or rural settings, versus whether such treatment creates conflicts of interest and risks to patient safety. The 30-mile exception appears designed to address access concerns, suggesting supporters may have emphasized rural healthcare availability while opponents may have worried about overbroad limits on professional discretion. The near-unanimous committee support indicates any objections were limited, but the 8-1 vote shows at least one member had concerns.