HB2313 • 2026

Health, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33 and Title 68, Chapter 1, relative to early childhood mental health programs.

Children

Active

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

Sponsor: Hawk, Walley
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Early Childhood Mental Health Home Visiting Program

This bill allows Tennessee's Department of Health to create a voluntary home visiting program for young children and their families facing mental health challenges.

What This Bill Does

Creates an early childhood mental health home visiting program that provides support to families with young children who are dealing with stressors like poverty or trauma.
Requires the program to offer services such as therapy, care coordination, assessments, and monitoring to ensure quality.
Sets guidelines for which families can join the program based on their needs and challenges.
Allows the Department of Health to work with nonprofit organizations and other groups to run the program.
Requires annual reports about how many families are helped, what results were achieved, and funding details.

Who It Names or Affects

Families with young children from birth to five years old who face significant stressors like poverty or trauma.
The Department of Health and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Evidence-based: Based on research that shows it works well.
Fidelity monitoring: Checking to make sure the program is done correctly and consistently.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much funding will be available for the program.
It's unclear when exactly the program will start after becoming law.

Bill History

2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 71, Nays 17, PNV 5
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Objected to on Consent Calendar.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/30/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 3/23/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Government Operations Committee
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 28, Nays 5
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/17/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Health Committee
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/12/2026
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) withdrawn.
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Population Health Subcommittee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
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
Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Population Health Subcommittee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Health Committee - Government Operations for Review
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill authorizes

t
he department of health, in collaboration with the department of mental health and substance abuse services, to establish and administer an early childhood mental health home visiting program as a voluntary, evidence-based, and home-based intervention to
promote the mental health, developmental progress, and family stability of children from birth to five and their families.

The purpose of the program is to provide intensive, home-based services to families with young children facing
significant stressors, including

poverty, trauma, domestic violence, or parental mental health or substance abuse challenges. The program must aim to

(
i
)
i
mprove child mental health and developmental outcomes
,
(
ii
)
r
educe the incidence of child abuse and neglect
,
(
iii
)
e
nhance parental capacity to support child development
,
(
iv
)
s
trengthen family stability through coordinated access to community resources
,
and

(
v
)
p
romote school readiness and long-term health equity.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

This bill requires the
program
to
include

(
i
)
h
ome-based parent-child psychotherapy delivered by licensed clinicians trained in evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions;

(
ii
)
c
are coordination to connect families with medical, educational, housing, and social services;

(
iii
)
d
evelopmental and mental health assessments for children; and

(
iv
)
f
idelity monitoring to ensure adherence to evidence-based standards established by the department of health.

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

This bill requires t
he department of health
to
prioritize for eligibility families with children from birth to five who are at risk due to socioeconomic, environmental, or behavioral health challenges, as determined by the department of health in consultation with the department of mental health and
substance abuse services.

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

This bill authorizes the
department of health
to
contract with qualified nonprofit organizations, community mental health providers, or other entities to deliver program services.

Providers
must
employ or contract with licensed clinicians and care coordinators who are trained in the program's evidence-based model, as approved by the department of health.
T
he department of health
must
establish guidelines for provider qualifications, training, and program evaluation to ensure fidelity to the program's evi
dence-based standards.

FUNDING

This bill authorizes

t
he department of health and the department of mental health and substance abuse services
to
seek and accept federal funds, state appropriations, grants, and private donations to support the program.

The program may be funded, in whole or in part, through TennCare, subject to agreements with managed care organizations for reimbursement of medically necessary services.
In order t
o supplement funding of
the
program, the department of health
must
explore partnerships with philanthropic
organizations and other community stakeholders.

COORDINATION WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS

This bill requires the
program
to
coordinate with existing state initiatives to maximize resources and avoid the duplication of services.

ANNUAL REPORT

No later than January 15 following any calendar year during which
the
program is implemented,
this bill requires
the department of health, in collaboration with the department of mental health and substance abuse services,
to
submit a report to the general assembly detailing

(
i
)
t
he number of families served by the program;

(
ii
)
p
rogram outcomes, including improvements in child mental health, family stability, and service coordination;

(
iii
)
f
unding sources and expenditures; and

(
iv
)
r
ecommendations for program expansion or improvement.

RULEMAKING

This bill authorizes the
department of health, in consultation with the department of mental health and substance abuse services, to promulgate rules to implement this
bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2153
By Walley

HOUSE BILL 2313
By Hawk
HB2313
011924
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33
and Title 68, Chapter 1, relative to early childhood
mental health programs.

WHEREAS, the State of Tennessee recognizes the critical importance of early childhood
mental health and family stability in fostering healthy, resilient communities; and
WHEREAS, young children exposed to adverse experiences, such as poverty, trauma,
or parental mental health challenges, face increased risks of developmental delays, behavioral
issues, and long-term health disparities; and
WHEREAS, evidence-based, home-based interventions that provide therapeutic support
and care coordination can significantly improve mental health and developmental outcomes for
young children while strengthening family resilience; and
WHEREAS, establishing a state program to deliver such interventions will expand
access to critical services for Tennessee's most vulnerable families and complement existing
initiatives; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly seeks to partner with qualified providers, such as
nonprofit mental health organizations, to implement this program efficiently and sustainably;
now, therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 1, is amended by adding
the following as a new part:
68-1-2101. Early childhood mental health home visiting program established -
Purpose.

- 2 - 011924

(a) The department of health, in collaboration with the department of mental
health and substance abuse services, is authorized to establish and administer an early
childhood mental health home visiting program as a voluntary, evidence-based, and
home-based intervention to promote the mental health, developmental progress, and
family stability of children from birth to five (5) years of age and their families.
(b) The purpose of the program is to provide intensive, home-based services to
families with young children facing significant stressors, including, but not limited to,
poverty, trauma, domestic violence, or parental mental health or substance abuse
challenges. The program must aim to:
(1) Improve child mental health and developmental outcomes;
(2) Reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect;
(3) Enhance parental capacity to support child development;
(4) Strengthen family stability through coordinated access to community
resources; and
(5) Promote school readiness and long-term health equity.
68-1-2102. Program components.
An early childhood mental health home visiting program developed under this
part must include, but is not limited to:
(1) Home-based parent-child psychotherapy delivered by licensed
clinicians trained in evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions;
(2) Care coordination to connect families with medical, educational,
housing, and social services;
(3) Developmental and mental health assessments for children; and
(4) Fidelity monitoring to ensure adherence to evidence-based standards
established by the department of health.

- 3 - 011924

68-1-2103. Program eligibility.
The department of health shall prioritize for eligibility families with children from
birth to five (5) years of age who are at risk due to socioeconomic, environmental, or
behavioral health challenges, as determined by the department of health in consultation
with the department of mental health and substance abuse services.
68-1-2104. Program implementation.
(a) The department of health may contract with qualified nonprofit organizations,
community mental health providers, or other entities to deliver program services.
(b) Providers shall employ or contract with licensed clinicians and care
coordinators who are trained in the program's evidence-based model, as approved by
the department of health.
(c) The department of health shall establish guidelines for provider qualifications,
training, and program evaluation to ensure fidelity to the program's evidence-based
standards.
68-1-2105. Funding.
(a) The department of health and the department of mental health and
substance abuse services may seek and accept federal funds, state appropriations,
grants, and private donations to support the early childhood mental health home visiting
program.
(b) The program may be funded, in whole or in part, through TennCare, subject
to agreements with managed care organizations for reimbursement of medically
necessary services.
(c) To supplement funding of a program implemented pursuant to this part, the
department of health shall explore partnerships with philanthropic organizations and
other community stakeholders.

- 4 - 011924

68-1-2106. Coordination with existing programs.
An early childhood mental health home visiting program implemented pursuant to
this part must coordinate with existing state initiatives to maximize resources and avoid
the duplication of services.
68-1-2107. Annual report.
(a) No later than January 15 following any calendar year during which an early
childhood mental health home visiting program is implemented pursuant to this part, the
department of health, in collaboration with the department of mental health and
substance abuse services, shall submit a report to the general assembly detailing:
(1) The number of families served by the program;
(2) Program outcomes, including improvements in child mental health,
family stability, and service coordination;
(3) Funding sources and expenditures; and
(4) Recommendations for program expansion or improvement.
(b) The annual report must be submitted to the chief clerk of the senate, the
chief clerk of the house of representatives, and the legislative librarian. Publication and
delivery of the report may be accomplished by electronic means.
68-1-2108. Rulemaking.
The department of health, in consultation with the department of mental health
and substance abuse services, is authorized to promulgate rules to implement this part.
Any such rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative
Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
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.

- 5 - 011924

SECTION 3. For the purpose of rule promulgation, this act takes effect upon becoming
a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2026,
the public welfare requiring it.