Reflexology Registry

Legislative

2024 Legislative Update

 

2020 Legislative Updates  

 

Current through August 27, 2015

If you wish to review any of the following Public Chapters in their entirety, please visit:
http://sos.tn.gov/division-publications/acts-and-resolutions.

 

Board Specific Updates

Public Chapter 154

This act allows the Commissioner of Health or his designee to have electronic access to medical records in order to facilitate investigations when responding to an immediate threat to public health. Today the Commissioner of Health or his designee already has this authority but must go to the facility to review the medical records.  This act took effect on April 16, 2015.

Public Chapter 94

This act defines “abuse” and “neglect” for purposes of placing a person on the registry of persons who have abused, neglected, or misappropriated the property of vulnerable individuals specifically within the statutes that govern the Dept. of Health. It does not impact the definitions within the statutes that govern the Dept. of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities nor the Dept. of Human Services.  It also increases the time within which placement on the registry may be appealed from 30 to 60 days.  For rulemaking purposes, this bill became effective on April 10, 2015.  All other provision become effective on July 1, 2015

Public Chapter 502

This act allows the Joint Government Operations Committee (the legislative committee that reviews all rules) to stay a rule up to 75 days instead of 60 days.  Present law authorizes the Joint Government Operations Committee to consider the following factors when reviewing rules: authority, clarity, consistency, justification, necessity and reference. This act adds arbitrariness and capriciousness as two new considerations.

Public Chapter 268

This act makes disclosures of protected healthcare information permissible in medical malpractice lawsuits and became effective on April 24, 2015.

 

Updates Applicable to All Boards

Public Chapter 949 
This act allows for initial licensure applications to be accepted online. Currently, renewing licenses is already available online.  This also makes available to the public annual inspections of health care facilities and pharmacies, similar to how nursing home inspections are already available.

Public Chapter 575
This act extends civil immunity to health care providers providing services at clinics that charge patients based on a sliding scale to health care providers offering services at a clinic that does not charge a patient for services.