Governor Signs TCAD-Backed Bill to Establish Unlicensed Facility Registry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Governor Bill Lee signed legislation that will establish the Tennessee Unlicensed Facility Registry within the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (TCAD). 

HB630/SB439 creates a searchable registry and moves the criminal penalty for operating a facility without a license after being placed on the registry from a class B misdemeanor to a class D felony.

“The last thing aging Tennesseans should have to worry about is being taken advantage of by the very people that are supposed to care for them,” said TCAD Executive Director James Dunn. “This law will provide transparency for Tennessee families as they look to find care for a loved one and deter habitual unlicensed operators who seek to take advantage of our most vulnerable.” 

As identified in the State’s 2022 Elder Abuse Task Force Report, elderly and vulnerable adults residing in unlicensed facilities are especially susceptible to neglect, abuse, and financial exploitation.

Last year, the Governor’s office tasked TCAD with leading a strike force with other state departments and agencies to address cases of unlicensed facilities across the state. Since January 2021, the strike force has dealt with over 100 identified unlicensed facilities across the state.