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HB1205 • 2026

Physicians and Surgeons

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33; Title 39; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68, relative to healthcare services.

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Active

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

Sponsor
Kumar, Crowe
Last action
2026-05-15
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/07/2026
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.

Physicians and Surgeons

This bill prohibits a physician or podiatrist from prescribing, dispensing, or administering medication for, or otherwise treating, the physician's or podiatrist's own self or immediate family, except in minor, self-limited, short-term, or urgent, emergency situations.

What This Bill Does

  • This bill prohibits a physician or podiatrist from prescribing, dispensing, or administering medication for, or otherwise treating, the physician's or podiatrist's own self or immediate family, except in minor, self-limited, short-term, or urgent, emergency situations.
  • However, a physician may prescribe, dispense, or administer medication for, or otherwise treat, immediate family within the physician's regular scope of practice if there is no other physician offering healthcare services at a location within 30 miles of the physician's primary practice site.
  • This bill also prohibits a physician or podiatrist from prescribing, dispensing, or administerin g a scheduled drug to the physician's or podiatrist's own self or for immediate family.
  • This bill requires a physician or podiatrist to maintain records of all treatment provided pursuant to this bill.

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 HB1205

Plain English: House Health 1 Amendment No.

  • House Health 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB1205 Terry Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1153* House Bill No.
  • 1205 HA0250 006582 - 1 - by deleting all language after the caption and substituting: WHEREAS, the prescription of medication or treatment by a licensed physician to the physician's own self or to immediate family is not prohibited by law; and WHEREAS, the American Medical Association and the Tennessee Medical Association have provided ethical guidelines under which a physician may prescribe medications or treat self or members of immediate family; now, therefore, BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1153

Plain English: Senate Health and Welfare 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Health and Welfare 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB1153 Crowe Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1153* House Bill No.
  • 1205 SA0261 006227 - 1 - by deleting all language after the caption and substituting: WHEREAS, the prescription of medication or treatment by a licensed physician to self or to immediate family is not prohibited by law; and WHEREAS, the American Medical Association and the Tennessee Medical Association have provided ethical guidelines under which a physician may prescribe medications or treat self or members of immediate family; now, therefore, BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: SECTION 1.
Amendment 2-0 to SB1153

Plain English: Amendment No.

  • Amendment No.
  • 2 to SB1153 Crowe Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1153* House Bill No.
  • 1205 SA0439 007934 - 1 - by deleting all language after the caption and substituting: WHEREAS, the prescription of medication or treatment by a licensed physician to the physician's own self or to immediate family is not prohibited by law; and WHEREAS, the American Medical Association and the Tennessee Medical Association have provided ethical guidelines under which a physician may prescribe medications or treat self or members of immediate family; now, therefore, BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/07/2026

  2. 2026-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 935

  3. 2026-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 935

  4. 2026-05-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-05-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2026-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2026-04-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 3

  11. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn (Amendment 2 - SA0439)

  12. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn (Amendment 1 - SA0261)

  13. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/21/2026

  14. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/21/2026

  15. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rerefer to Senate Calendar Committee

  16. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 4/1/2026

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Health & Welfare Committee

  18. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Health & Welfare Committee to final calendar

  22. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/18/2026

  23. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Health & Welfare Committee

  25. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  26. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  27. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  28. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  30. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 78, Nays 14, PNV 0

  31. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0250)

  32. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on Final Regular Calendar

  33. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2025

  34. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/15/2025

  35. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  36. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  37. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  38. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/14/2025

  39. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/7/2025

  40. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Calendar & Rules Committee to 4/10/2025

  41. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/3/2025

  42. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  43. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 4/1/2025

  44. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0

  45. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Health Committee to 4/1/2025

  46. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/25/2025

  47. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  48. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  49. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  50. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  51. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee

  52. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  53. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  54. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  55. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  56. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill prohibits a physician or podiatrist from prescribing, dispensing, or administering medication for, or otherwise treating, the physician's or
podiatrist's own self or immediate family, except in minor, self-limited, short-term, or urgent, emergency situations. However, a physician may prescribe, dispense, or administer medication for, or otherwise treat, immediate family within the physician's

regular scope of practice if there is no other physician offering healthcare services at a location within 30 miles of the physician's primary practice site.

This bill also prohibits a physician or podiatrist from prescribing, dispensing, or administerin
g a scheduled drug to the physician's or podiatrist's own self or for immediate family.

This bill requires a physician or podiatrist to maintain records of all treatment provided pursuant to this bill.

ON APRIL 15, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1
AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1205, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following revisions to present law:



Authorizes a physician or podiatrist to prescribe, dispense, or administer medication for, or otherwise treat, the physician's or podiatrist's own self or immediate family in short-term, minor, or acute, emergency situations.



Authorizes a physician or podiatrist to prescribe, dispense, or administer a scheduled drug to the physician's or podiatrist's own self or immediate family only in acute, emergency situations.



Authorizes a physician or podiatrist to prescribe, dispense, or administer medication for, or otherwise treat, immediate family within the physician's or podiatrist's regular scope of practice if there is no other physician or podiatrist offering healthcare services at a location within 30 miles of the physician's or podiatrist's primary practice site.



Provides that, if there is an established provider-patient relationship between a supervising or collaborating physician or podiatrist and a supervisee, which includes a chart for such physician or podiatrist, the supervisee may prescribe, dispense, or administer medication for, or otherwise treat, a supervising or collaborating physician or podiatrist or such physician's or podiatrist's immediate family only in acute or emergency situations.



Authorizes a supervisee to prescribe, dispense, or administer scheduled drugs for a supervising or collaborating physician or podiatrist or the supervising or collaborating physician's or podiatrist's immediate family only in acute, emergency situations.



Requires a physician, podiatrist, or supervisee to maintain records of all treatment provided pursuant to the bill.

ON APRIL 21, 2025, THE SENATE SUBSTITUTED HOUSE BILL 1205 FOR SENATE BILL 1153 AND REFERRED HOUSE BILL 1205 TO THE HEALTH COMMITTEE.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1153
By Crowe

HOUSE BILL 1205
By Kumar

HB1205
003038
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33;
Title 39; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68, relative to
healthcare services.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 6, Part 2, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) ''Immediate family'' means a physician's or podiatrist's spouse, parent,
child, sibling, or another individual in relation to whom a physician's or podiatrist's
personal or emotional involvement may render that physician or podiatrist unable
to exercise detached professional judgment in reaching diagnostic or therapeutic
decisions;
(2) ''Physician'' means a physician licensed under this chapter or chapter
9 of this title;
(3) ''Podiatrist'' has the same meaning as defined in § 63-3-101; and
(4) ''Scheduled drug'' means a drug, substance, or immediate precursor
in Schedules I through V of the federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. §
812).
(b) A physician or podiatrist shall maintain records of all treatment provided
pursuant to this section.
(c) A physician or podiatrist shall not prescribe, dispense, or administer
medication for, or otherwise treat, the physician's or podiatrist's own self or immediate
family, except in minor, self-limited, short-term, or urgent, emergency situations.

- 2 - 003038

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (c) or (e), a physician or podiatrist shall not
prescribe, dispense, or administer a scheduled drug to the physician's or podiatrist's own
self or for immediate family.
(e) Notwithstanding subsection (c), a physician may prescribe, dispense, or
administer medication for, or otherwise treat, immediate family within the physician's
regular scope of practice if there is no other physician offering healthcare services at a
location within thirty (30) miles of the physician's primary practice site.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.