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HB0491 • 2026

Opioids

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 20 and Title 33, relative to opioids.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Farmer, Haile
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 302
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact amount of settlement proceeds cannot be determined, as stated by the official digest text.

Opioid Settlement Agreement Changes

This bill updates Tennessee laws to include Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Indivior Inc., Viatris Inc., and Purdue Pharma L.P. in opioid-related settlement agreements and releases claims against them.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Indivior Inc., Viatris Inc., and Purdue Pharma L.P. to the list of companies that can be released from pending or future claims related to opioids.
  • Includes proceeds from settlement agreements with these new companies in funds for opioid abatement efforts.
  • Applies the bill's provisions to bankruptcy plans and related agreements involving opioid activities.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Tennessee Attorney General
  • Governmental entities settling claims against pharmaceutical companies
  • Counties joining statewide opioid settlement agreements

Terms To Know

Opioids
Strong painkillers that can be addictive and harmful if not used correctly.
Settlement Agreement
An agreement where parties involved in a legal dispute agree to settle without going to court.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact amount of settlement proceeds cannot be determined.
  • This bill only affects companies listed and does not cover all opioid-related claims or settlements.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0491

Plain English: This amendment allows Tennessee's attorney general to release claims against certain opioid companies if approved by the governor and comptroller, and sets rules for distributing settlement proceeds.

  • The attorney general can now release claims against specific opioid companies with approval from the governor and comptroller of the treasury.
  • Thirty-five percent of settlement proceeds will be distributed to counties that join the settlement agreement, while sixty-five percent will go towards statewide, regional, or local opioid abatement efforts.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how claims are released or how settlements are reached with opioid companies.
  • It is unclear what specific criteria the attorney general uses to deem a release necessary for the state's interest in resolving the opioid crisis.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0048

Plain English: This amendment allows Tennessee's attorney general to release claims against certain opioid companies if approved by the governor and comptroller, and sets rules for distributing settlement proceeds.

  • The attorney general can now release claims against specific opioid companies with approval from the governor and comptroller of the treasury.
  • Thirty-five percent of settlement proceeds will be distributed to counties that join the settlement agreement, while sixty-five percent will go towards statewide, regional, or local opioid abatement efforts.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how claims are released or how settlements are reached with opioid companies.
  • It is unclear what specific criteria the attorney general uses to deem a release necessary for the state's interest in resolving the opioid crisis.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 302

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/02/2025

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 302

  4. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 1

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0377)

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025

  15. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  16. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2025

  18. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  19. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  20. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  21. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  22. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025

  23. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/9/2025

  24. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/2/2025

  25. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/02/2025

  26. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/26/2025

  27. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/26/2025

  28. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/19/2025

  30. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/19/2025

  31. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  32. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 29, Nays 0, PNV 1

  33. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0041)

  34. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/10/2025

  35. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/12/2025

  36. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays0 PNV 0

  38. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  39. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/4/2025

  40. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  42. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  44. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  45. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  46. 2025-01-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes the attorney general, upon written approval of the governor and comptroller of the treasury, to release any pending or future claim of governmental entities against McKesson, Cardina
l Health, AmerisourceBergen, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan Finance, CVS, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Walgreens, Walmart, K-VA-T Food Stores, and Kroger in such entities' settlement agreements for activities related to the manufacture, marketing, distribution, dis
p
ensing, or sale of opioids, if the attorney general deems the release necessary to the interest of the state in the resolution of the opioid crisis. This bill adds to the list of entities authorized for release Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Hikma Pharmaceutica
l
s, and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries.

For proceeds received from a statewide opioid settlement agreement with McKesson, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan Finance, CVS, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Walgreens, Walmart, K-VA-T Food St
ores, or Kroger, present law requires the Tennessee opioid abatement council to disburse 35% of these proceeds to counties that join the settlement and 65% for statewide, regional, or local opioid abatement and remediation purposes. This bill adds to suc
h
funds proceeds from a settlement agreement with Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, or Sun Pharmaceutical Industries.

ON MARCH 10, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 48, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following
revisions:



A
dds to the list of entities authorized for release

Indivior Inc.
,
Viatris Inc., and Purdue Pharma L.P.



A
dds to funds proceeds from a settlement agreement with

Indivior Inc.
,
Viatris Inc., and Purdue Pharma L.P.



Applies the bill, in addition to settlement agreements
for activities related to the manufacture, marketing, distribution, dispensing, or sale of opioids
, to a
bankruptcy plan and related agreements
to such activities.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 48
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 491
By Farmer

HB0491
001063
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 20
and Title 33, relative to opioids.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 20-13-203, is amended by deleting
the language "and The Kroger Co." wherever it appears and substituting instead the language
"The Kroger Co., Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., and Sun
Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc.".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 33-11-103(p), is amended by
deleting the language "or The Kroger Co." and substituting instead the language "The Kroger
Co., Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., or Sun Pharmaceutical
Industries, Inc.".
SECTION 3. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance
is held invalid, then the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the act that
can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end, the provisions of
this act are severable.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.