Legislation Details:

UPDATE: 4/25/2024 - SB 585 died, carryover from 2023 failed to move in the Senate before the 2024 session ended on 4/25/2024.

UPDATE: 2/1/2024 - HB 377 died, it was withdrawn on 2/1/2024. 

UPDATE: 4/21/2023 - HB 377 & SB 585 failed to be scheduled for committee hearings in their chamber of origin before session adjourned on 4/21/2023. However, bills in TN carry over from odd to even calendar years.

UPDATE: 2/1/2023 - HB 377 was referred to the House Health Subcommittee of the House Health Committee on 2/1/2023.

UPDATE: 1/30/2023 - SB 585 was referred to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on 1/30/2023.  

UPDATE: 1/30/2023 - HB 377 was introduced and passed 1st Consideration.

UPDATE: 1/26/2023 - SB 585 was introduced and passed 1st Consideration. 

HB 377 was filed for introduction on 1/23/2023. It is sponsored by Representative Todd Warner.

SB 585 was filed for introduction on 1/25/2023. It is sponsored by Senator Mark Pody. 

These bills establish the "Patient Rights Act."  NVIC supports the following sections of these bills that prohibit discrimination based on vaccination status:  

A healthcare facility shall not discriminate against a patient in admission or treatment based on sex, economic status, educational background, race, religion, ancestry, disability, medical condition, language, or marital status.

"Medical condition" includes an indication of whether a patient has received one (1) or more doses of a vaccine.

These bills also enact a new section - 68-11-2209. Right to a transplant. This section prohibits discrimination in transplants based on vaccination status.  See Pages 8 and 9 - https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/HB0377.pdf 

NVIC does not take a position on the sections of the bill unrelated to vaccination, while recognizing that improving the rights of Tennesseans to have more freedom in their medical decision making is positive. 

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0377&GA=113 - text, status, and history of HB 377