HB1954 • 2026

Opioids

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 53 and Title 63, relative to buprenorphine products.

Healthcare

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Helton-Haynes, Reeves
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Comp. became Pub. Ch. 677
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text does not provide details on other specific criteria or requirements for prescribing buprenorphine.

Opioid Treatment Expansion

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to allow subcontracted healthcare providers working with jails and prisons to prescribe buprenorphine for treating opioid use disorder.

What This Bill Does

Clarifies that healthcare providers who are subcontracted through a contracted vendor can prescribe buprenorphine if they provide healthcare services to state correctional facilities or county/municipal jails.

Who It Names or Affects

Healthcare providers who work with state correctional facilities, county jails, or municipal jails through a subcontracted arrangement
People with opioid use disorder who are incarcerated

Terms To Know

Buprenorphine: A medicine used to treat addiction to opioids like heroin and prescription painkillers.
Subcontracted healthcare vendor: A company that provides healthcare services to correctional facilities or jails through a subcontract with the main provider.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify additional conditions beyond being subcontracted.
It is unclear how many more providers will be able to prescribe buprenorphine as a result of this change.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 677
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 04/07/2026
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 677
2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 82, Nays 0, PNV 2
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/23/2026
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/19/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 1
2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/17/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
No Action Taken
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Health Committee to 3/10/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/3/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/4/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Health Committee
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Health Committee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law generally prohibits healthcare providers who are permitted to prescribe Schedule II or III drugs from prescribing a buprenorphine product for the treatment of opioid use disorder unless the provider meets certain conditions. One such conditi
on is that the healthcare provider be employed by or contracted with a state correctional facility or county or municipal jail to provide healthcare services. This bill clarifies that this condition is also met by healthcare providers who are subcontract
ed
through the contracted healthcare vendor for the department of correction or a county or municipal jail.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2549
By Reeves

HOUSE BILL 1954
By Helton-Haynes
HB1954
011944
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 53
and Title 63, relative to buprenorphine products.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 53-11-311(j)(2)(B), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(B) Is employed by, contracts with, or subcontracts through the contracted
healthcare vendor with the department of correction or a county or municipal jail to
provide healthcare services;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.