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HB0398 • 2026

Public Health

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 29; Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to health.

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Williams, Bailey
Last action
2026-04-16
Official status
Comp. SB subst.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Public Health

ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 343, AS AMENDED.

What This Bill Does

  • ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 343, AS AMENDED.
  • AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, authorize, as of January 1, 2027, a licensed paramedic to make an actual determination and pronouncement of death.
  • However, the paramedic must have successfully completed training in the determination and pron ouncement of death and have attempted to resuscitate the person in accordance with standards established by the emergency medical services board.
  • A paramedic is prohibited from making an actual determination and pronouncement of death if the patient is i n a hospital when the apparent death occurs.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0398

Plain English: House Health 1 Amendment No.

  • House Health 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB0398 Terry Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 343* House Bill No.
  • 398 HA0803 016044 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0343

Plain English: Senate Health and Welfare 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Health and Welfare 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB0343 Crowe Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 343* House Bill No.
  • 398 SA0783 014083 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/20/2026

  2. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  3. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 2, PNV 0

  4. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0803)

  5. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  6. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  7. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  10. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  12. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0783)

  13. 2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026

  14. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final cal. 2 of Calendar & Rules Committee

  15. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  16. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/24/2026

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0

  19. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Health Committee to 3/24/2026

  20. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/18/2026

  21. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/18/2026

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/17/2026

  23. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  24. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/18/2026

  25. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    No Action Taken

  26. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/10/2026

  28. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/11/2026

  30. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Health & Welfare Committee

  31. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recalled from Senate Commerce & Labor Committee

  32. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  33. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  34. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  35. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Health Committee

  36. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  37. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  38. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  39. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  40. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  42. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  44. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 343, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, authorize, as of January 1, 2027, a licensed paramedic to make an actual determination and pronouncement of death. However, the paramedic must have successfully completed training in the determination and pron
ouncement of death and have attempted to resuscitate the person in accordance with standards established by the emergency medical services board. A paramedic is prohibited from making an actual determination and pronouncement of death if the patient is i
n
a hospital when the apparent death occurs.

This amendment requires a paramedic to complete a course of instruction on making an actual determination and pronouncement of death. Further, the emergency medical services board is prohibited from issuing a paramedic license to an applicant from anoth
er state if such applicant does not provide proof of the successful completion of such a training.

ON APRIL 16, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 343 FOR HOUSE BILL 398, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 343, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 incorporates the provisions of Senate Amendment #1 with the following changes:

(1) Clarifies that only a paramedic who intends to determine and pronounce death (instead of all paramedics) is required to complete a course of instruction in determining and pronouncing death;

(2) Removes the prohibition against licensing applicants from other states who have not been trained to make determinations of death;

(3) Requires that a paramedic who determines and pronounces death retain proof of successful completion of the course and make the proof readily available to the board or the board's designee upon request; and

(4) Adds that a paramedic who fails to comply with the standards for determining and pronouncing death set may be subject to administrative discipline.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 343
By Crowe

HOUSE BILL 398
By Williams
HB0398
002345
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 29; Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and
Title 71, relative to health.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-1-128(h)(2), is amended by
deleting "thirty (30) days" and substituting "forty-five (45) days".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.