HB1550 • 2026

Education

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49 and Title 68, Chapter 140, Part 5, relative to epinephrine.

Education

Active

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

Sponsor: Davis, Hensley
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide information on the liability protection for school staff or doctors beyond intentional disregard for safety. The candidate explanation included this detail which was removed as it is not supported by the official source material.

Expanding Epinephrine Use in Schools

This bill changes Tennessee laws to allow schools to use different forms of epinephrine to treat severe allergic reactions and ensures that schools can keep this medicine available.

What This Bill Does

Allows schools to have more types of epinephrine, not just auto-injectors, for treating serious allergies.
Requires schools to store epinephrine in at least two secure but accessible places within the school.
Permits doctors to prescribe epinephrine directly to schools instead of individual students.

Who It Names or Affects

Public and nonpublic schools in Tennessee
Students who may have severe allergic reactions

Terms To Know

Epinephrine: A medicine used to treat serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
LEA: Local Education Agency, which refers to a school district or other local organization responsible for providing public education

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how schools will pay for the additional epinephrine supplies.
It is unclear if all doctors and schools are prepared to follow these new rules.

Amendments

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

HA0820

Amendment 1-0 to HB1550

Plain English: The amendment changes when a certain section of the bill becomes effective.

Changes the effective date of Section 3 from an unspecified time to July 1, 2026.

The original text does not specify what 'Section 3' refers to or its content, so details about the section's purpose are unknown.
It is unclear why this specific date was chosen for the effective time of Section 3.

SA0498

Amendment 1-0 to SB1716

Plain English: The amendment changes when a certain section of the bill becomes effective.

Changes the effective date of Section 3 from an unspecified time to July 1, 2026.

The original text does not specify what 'the public welfare requiring it' means in detail.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0820)
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/7/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/8/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/17/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Education Committee to 3/17/2026
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/3/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee to Next Available Calendar
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/17/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/18/2026
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee to 2/17/2026
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/10/2026
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Education Committee
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 13, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1550, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 c
hanges this bill's effective date from upon becoming a law to July 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1716
By Hensley

HOUSE BILL 1550
By Davis
HB1550
009724
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49
and Title 68, Chapter 140, Part 5, relative to
epinephrine.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-50-1602(f), is amended by
deleting subdivision (3) and substituting:
(3)
(A) It is the intent of the general assembly that schools, both public and
nonpublic, be prepared to treat allergic reactions in the event a student's
personal source of epinephrine is not available or the student is having a reaction
for the first time.
(B) Each school in an LEA and each nonpublic school may maintain
epinephrine at the school. If a school maintains epinephrine, then it is
recommended that the school maintain epinephrine in a form that may be
administered to a student believed to be experiencing a life-threatening allergic
or anaphylactic reaction in at least two (2) unlocked, secure locations, including,
but not limited to, the school's administrative office and the school cafeteria.
(C) Notwithstanding title 63 to the contrary, a physician may prescribe
epinephrine in the name of an LEA or nonpublic school to be maintained for use
in the LEA or nonpublic school when necessary.
(D) If a student does not have a personal source of epinephrine or a
prescription for epinephrine on file, then the school nurse or other trained school
personnel may utilize the supply of epinephrine maintained by the LEA or

- 2 - 009724

nonpublic school, as applicable, to respond to an anaphylactic reaction in
accordance with a standing protocol from a physician licensed to practice
medicine in all its branches.
(E) If a student is injured or harmed due to the administration of
epinephrine prescribed to an LEA or nonpublic school by a physician under this
subdivision (f)(3), then the prescribing physician shall not be held responsible for
the injury unless the physician issued the prescription or the standing protocol
with intentional disregard for safety.
(F) If a student is injured or harmed due to the administration of
epinephrine to the student by a school nurse or other trained school personnel
under this subdivision (f)(3), then the school nurse or school employee shall not
be held responsible for the injury unless the school nurse or school employee
administered the epinephrine with intentional disregard for safety.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-140-501(1), is amended by
deleting "an epinephrine auto-injector" and substituting "epinephrine".
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.