Nurses, Nursing

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not specify the exact number of full-time faculty members required for a program based in Tennessee, but Amendment #2 clarifies that it is at least one full-time faculty member.

Tennessee Nursing Education Integrity and Oversight Act

This bill creates a two-year moratorium on accepting applications from out-of-state nursing education programs that want to operate in Tennessee while state agencies develop new standards for oversight.

What This Bill Does

• Creates a two-year moratorium on the acceptance of applications by the Board of Nursing from out-of-state nursing education programs seeking approval to operate, enroll students, or place them for clinical experiences within Tennessee.
• Allows previously approved out-of-state nursing programs to continue operating during the moratorium but requires them to provide data and information requested by state agencies.
• Requires the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement and the Board of Nursing to develop standards for out-of-state nursing programs using Tennessee preceptors or clinical sites, covering verification of preceptors, annual reporting, faculty supervision, and more.

Who It Names or Affects

• Out-of-state nursing education programs that want to operate in Tennessee
• The Board of Nursing and the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement

Terms To Know

program based in this state

A nursing education program with a physical campus or facility in Tennessee and at least three full-time faculty members on-site assigned to the nursing degree program.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not apply to nurse anesthesia educational programs that meet specific criteria.
• It is unclear how many out-of-state nursing education programs will be affected by this moratorium.

Official Summary Text

This bill creates a temporary moratorium on the acceptance and approval of applications by the board of nursing ("board") from nursing education programs located outside this state that seek approval from the board to operate, enroll students, or place st
udents for clinical experiences within this state. The moratorium begins on the effective date of this act and ends two years thereafter, and applies to any nursing education program that is not a “
program based in this state,”
which is a nursing educati
on
program with a physical campus or facility in this state and at least three full-time faculty members on-site assigned to the nursing degree program.

This bill provides that an out-of-state nursing education program that was approved by the board prior to the effective date of this act retains its approval status during the moratorium period. However, such program must submit all data or information
requested by the board and the Tennessee center for nursing advancement ("center"), including preceptor lists, student placement statistics, and program outcomes.

DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS AND REPORTING

This bill requires that the center, working with the board, must develop standards for out-of-state nursing programs that use Tennessee-licensed preceptors or clinical sites. These standards must address all of the following:



Verification and licensure of all preceptors used in this state, and verification of in-state residents enrolled in the programs.


Annual reporting requirements, including student placement numbers, preceptor utilization, faculty oversight, and student outcomes.


Minimum standards for faculty supervision and clinical oversight.


Data collection for tracking clinical placements.


Administrative costs incurred by the board to evaluate and monitor out-of-state programs.


Mechanisms for ensuring educational equivalency and the protection of Tennessee patients and preceptors.

This bill requires the center to publish a report including these new standards by June 30, 2027, and deliver it to the legislature. Additionally, the center must publish an annual report by June 30 of each year detailing the activities, findings, and o
versight of out-of-state programs using clinical sites in this state.

BOARD AUTHORITY

This bill clarifies that its provisions do not affect the board's authority to enforce existing nursing laws or compel compliance with data requests from previously approved out-of-state programs during the moratorium period.

ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2013, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that the bill does not apply to a nurse anesthesia educational program that is physically located outside of this state and that places students in this state for purposes of clinical education or training if the program meets all
of the following criteria:



Is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), or is undergoing a COA capability review and establishing eligibility for accreditation.


Is offered through a regionally accredited institution of higher education authorized to operate in its home state.


Prepares graduates for national certification as certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) in accordance with COA standards.


Ensures that all students participating in clinical education within this state comply with applicable Tennessee licensure requirements, supervision requirements, and all other state and federal laws governing clinical practice and patient safety.


Receives approval for clinical placements from the board.

However, such a program is not required to obtain additional authorization solely for the placement of students in clinical training experiences within this state.

AMENDMENT #2 makes the following changes:



Changes the definition of "program based in this state" to require a nursing education program to have a minimum of one, instead of a minimum of three, full-time faculty members on-site assigned to the nursing degree program.


Clarifies that the moratorium on the acceptance and approval of applications from nursing education programs applies to nursing programs not based in this state rather than nursing programs located outside of this state.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 2013
By Crowe

HOUSE BILL 1905
By Terry
HB1905
010707
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49
and Title 63, relative to nursing.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 7, is amended by adding
the following as a new part:
63-7-501. Short title.
This act is known and may be cited as the "Tennessee Nursing Education
Integrity and Oversight Act."
63-7-502. Legislative findings.
The general assembly finds and declares that:
(1) The safety, efficacy, and quality of nursing education directly affect
healthcare outcomes for the citizens of this state;
(2) A significant number of out-of-state nursing education programs
currently place students for clinical experiences in this state without adequate
oversight or accountability;
(3) The board of nursing must have sufficient capacity to effectively
evaluate and monitor all nursing programs seeking approval, especially those
located outside this state;
(4) Enhanced monitoring and comprehensive data tracking are essential
to ensure the integrity of clinical preceptorship within this state; and
(5) A temporary moratorium is necessary to allow state agencies,
including the Tennessee center for nursing advancement and the board of

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nursing, to develop and implement improved standards and reporting procedures
for out-of-state nursing programs.
63-7-503. Part definitions.
As used in this part:
(1) "Board" means the board of nursing;
(2) "Center for nursing advancement" or "center" means the Tennessee
center for nursing advancement created by § 49-8-502; and
(3) "Program based in this state" means a nursing education program
that maintains a physical campus or facility located in this state that has a
minimum of three (3) full-time faculty members on-site who are assigned to the
nursing degree program who are each licensed, registered, or certified or eligible
for licensure, registration, or certification pursuant to this chapter.
63-7-504. Temporary moratorium on approval of out-of-state programs.
(a) There is established, and the board shall implement, a moratorium on the
acceptance and approval of applications from nursing education programs located
outside of this state that seek approval from the board to operate, enroll students, or
place students for clinical experiences within this state.
(b) The moratorium begins on the effective date of this act and ends two (2)
years after the effective date of this act.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (d), the moratorium applies to any nursing
education program that is not a program based in this state.
(d) A nursing program that is not a program based in this state, but that has
been approved by the board prior to the effective date of this act, retains its approval
status during the moratorium period. However, such program shall submit all data or

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information requested by the board and the center, including, but not limited to,
preceptor lists, student placement statistics, and program outcomes.
63-7-505. Development of standards for out-of-state programs.
(a) The center for nursing advancement, in collaboration with the board, shall
develop and recommend new standards for the approval of nursing education programs
that are not programs based in this state that utilize Tennessee-licensed preceptors or
clinical sites located within this state.
(b) The center shall ensure that the following topics are considered and
addressed when developing the new approval standards:
(1) Verification and licensure of all preceptors used in this state;
(2) Verification of Tennessee residents enrolled in nursing programs;
(3) Annual reporting requirements for out-of-state programs, including
student placement numbers, preceptor utilization, faculty oversight, and student
outcomes;
(4) Minimum standards for faculty supervision and clinical oversight;
(5) Data collection requirements for tracking clinical placements in this
state;
(6) Administrative costs required by the board to evaluate, monitor, and
process matters related to out-of-state programs; and
(7) Mechanisms for ensuring educational equivalency and protection of
Tennessee patients and preceptors.
(c) No later than June 30, 2027, the center shall publish a report containing the
recommended standards and deliver a copy of the report to the chief clerk of the senate,
the chief clerk of the house of representatives, the legislative librarian, and the board.

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(d) In addition to the report required by subsection (c), no later than June 30 of
each year, the center shall publish and make publicly available an annual report detailing
the activities of, findings about, and oversight of out-of-state programs that utilize clinical
sites in this state.
63-7-506. Board authority not affected.
This part does not limit the authority of the board to enforce this chapter during
the moratorium period, or to enforce compliance with § 63-7-504(d).
SECTION 2. The headings in this act are for reference purposes only and do not
constitute a part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is
requested to include the headings in any compilation or publication containing this act.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.