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HB0111 • 2026

Public Health

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-5-602, relative to maternal health screening.

Healthcare
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Lamberth, Johnson
Last action
2025-03-28
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 46
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on how non-authorized healthcare providers should handle blood sample collection, which was included in the candidate explanation.

Maternal Health Screening Changes

This bill updates Tennessee's maternal health screening laws to include testing for hepatitis C and syphilis during pregnancy.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires doctors, surgeons, or other healthcare providers who attend pregnant women to take a blood sample at the first visit or within ten days after the first visit.
  • Adds that the blood sample must be tested for hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV) with automatic reflex to HCV RNA if anti-HCV is reactive.
  • Requires testing for syphilis between weeks 28 and 32 of pregnancy, as well as at delivery time, for all pregnant women.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Pregnant women in Tennessee
  • Healthcare providers attending pregnant women

Terms To Know

serological test
A blood test used to detect antibodies or antigens that indicate the presence of a specific disease.
reflex testing
When an initial positive result triggers additional tests automatically, without needing another sample.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a healthcare provider fails to follow the new requirements.
  • It is unclear how this change will be communicated and implemented among all healthcare providers in Tennessee.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 46

  2. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 46

  4. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 79, Nays 12, PNV 1

  12. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  14. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/6/2025

  15. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  16. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  17. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  19. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  20. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/3/2025

  21. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/3/2025

  22. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/27/2025

  23. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  24. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  25. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 2/25/2025

  27. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/26/2025

  28. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Health Committee

  29. 2025-02-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Population Health Subcommittee for 2/18/2025

  31. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  32. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  34. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Population Health Subcommittee

  35. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  36. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Health Committee

  37. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  38. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  39. 2025-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

TESTING OF PREGNANT WOMEN GENERALLY

Present law requires every
physician, surgeon, or other person permitted by law to attend a pregnant woman during gestat
ion
to
take
,
or cause to be taken
,
a sample of the blood of the woman at the time of first examination and visit or within 10

days after the first examination.

If the first visit is at the time of delivery, or after delivery, the standard serological test
required
such provision must
be performed at that time.

The blood sample
must
be sent to a laboratory approved by the
department of health ("department")
for testing for syphilis infection, rubella immunity, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).
This
bill adds that the sample must be tested for hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV) with automatic reflex to HCV RNA if anti-HCV is reactive.

TESTING FOR WOMEN AT HIGH RISK OF HEPATITIS B OR SYPHILIS

Present law requires, in the same manner, that
a sample of
blood be taken during or after the
28
th week of gestation for a woman whom the attending physician determines to be at high risk of hepatitis B or syphilis according to the current standards of care.

This second sample
must
be sent to a laboratory approve
d by the department for testing for syphilis infection and HBsAg only.

This bill rewrites the above provisions to, instead, require, i
n the same manner, a sample of blood
to
be taken and tested between the
28
th and
32nd
week of gestation for syphilis for
all pregnant women. In the same manner, a sample of blood must be taken and tested for syphilis for all pregnant women at the time of delivery.

PERSONS NOT PERMITTED BY LAW TO TAKE BLOOD SAMPLES

Present law clarifies that e
very person attending a preg
nant woman who is not permitted by law to take blood samples
must
cause a sample of blood to be taken by a health provider permitted by law to take the samples at the time of first examination and visit or within 10 days after the first examination.

These
samples
must
be submitted to the same approved laboratories for testing for syphilis infection and HBsAg.

If no rubella immunity is documented,
then
testing for rubella is required.

This bill rewrites the above provisions to, instead, clarify that e
ver
y person attending a pregnant woman who is not permitted by law to take blood samples
must
cause a sample of blood to be taken and tested by a health provider permitted by law to take the samples as required in
this bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1283
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 111
By Lamberth

HB0111
000191
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section
68-5-602, relative to maternal health screening.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-5-602(a), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting:
(a) Every physician, surgeon, or other person permitted by law to attend a
pregnant woman during gestation shall, in the case of each woman so attended, take or
cause to be taken a sample of the blood of the woman at the time of first examination
and visit or within ten (10) days after the first examination. If the first visit is at the time
of delivery, or after delivery, then the standard serological test required by this
subsection (a) must be performed at that time. The blood sample must be sent to a
laboratory approved by the department for testing for syphilis infection, rubella immunity,
hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV) with automatic
reflex to HCV RNA if anti-HCV is reactive. In the same manner, a sample of blood must
be taken and tested between the twenty-eighth and thirty-second week of gestation for
syphilis for all pregnant women. In the same manner, a sample of blood must be taken
and tested for syphilis for all pregnant women at the time of delivery. Additional testing
for rubella immunity is not required in subsequent pregnancies once a positive result is
verified or a documented history of vaccination against rubella is available. All positive
tests for syphilis, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C must be reported to the local health
department in accordance with this chapter, and regulations governing the control of
communicable diseases in this state.

- 2 - 000191

SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-5-602(b), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting:
(b) Every person attending a pregnant woman who is not permitted by law to
take blood samples shall cause a sample of blood to be taken and tested by a health
provider permitted by law to take the samples as required in subsection (a).
SECTION 3. This act takes effect on July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.