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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
2026-04-09
Official status
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about the exact content of the training or the consequences for untrained declarations, which were included in the candidate explanation.

Health Care Improvements

This bill changes how long health licensing boards have to respond to inquiries about doctors with unusual prescription patterns and allows paramedics to declare death after completing specific training.

What This Bill Does

  • Extends the time a licensing board has to answer questions from the Department of Health about doctors whose prescription patterns are statistical outliers or high-risk prescribers from 30 days to 45 days.
  • Allows licensed paramedics, who have completed special training and attempted resuscitation according to standards set by the emergency medical services board, to declare someone dead starting January 1, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Health licensing boards in Tennessee
  • Doctors who prescribe controlled substances
  • Licensed paramedics

Terms To Know

Statistical outlier
A doctor whose prescription patterns are very different from what is normal or expected.
High-risk prescriber
A doctor who writes prescriptions that could be dangerous based on their pattern and volume of controlled substance prescriptions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a paramedic declares death without the required training.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect current practices in hospitals where patients are declared dead.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0398

Plain English: This amendment allows paramedics to declare someone dead after they have completed special training and tried to save the person's life, but only outside of hospitals.

  • Paramedics can now make a determination of death if they are trained and have attempted resuscitation according to established standards.
  • Paramedics must complete specific instruction on determining and pronouncing death before doing so.
  • Paramedics who do not follow the rules for declaring death may face disciplinary action.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if a paramedic declares someone dead without proper training or documentation.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0343

Plain English: This amendment allows paramedics to determine and pronounce death in certain situations after completing specific training, but not for patients in hospitals or without attempting resuscitation.

  • Paramedics can now make a determination of death if they have completed the required training and attempted resuscitation according to established standards.
  • Hospitals are excluded from this rule; paramedics cannot pronounce death for hospital patients.
  • Paramedics must complete a course on determining and pronouncing death before getting or renewing their license.
  • The amendment does not specify the exact content of the training courses or standards established by the emergency medical services board.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  2. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  3. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  5. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  6. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  7. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0783)

  8. 2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026

  9. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final cal. 2 of Calendar & Rules Committee

  10. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    No Action Taken

  21. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Health & Welfare Committee

  26. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recalled from Senate Commerce & Labor Committee

  27. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  28. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  30. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Health Committee

  31. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  32. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  33. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  34. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  36. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  38. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  39. 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.

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.