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SB0174 • 2026

Medical Occupations

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 6, relative to surgical assistants.

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Massey, Slater
Last action
2025-04-08
Official status
Effective date(s) 03/25/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on whether the bill includes provisions for successors of the listed boards beyond adding the American Board of Surgical Assistants.

Medical Occupations: Surgical Assistants

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to allow surgical assistants with credentials from an additional board and removes a deadline for registration based on past experience.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds the American Board of Surgical Assistants to the list of boards that can issue valid credentials for becoming a registered surgical assistant in Tennessee.
  • Removes the December 31, 2019 deadline for applicants who want to register as surgical assistants based on past experience before July 1, 2017.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Registered surgical assistants in Tennessee
  • The board of medical examiners in Tennessee

Terms To Know

registered surgical assistant
A person who is officially recognized by the state to work as a surgical assistant.
credential
An official document that shows someone has met certain requirements or passed an exam.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify new deadlines for registration after July 1, 2017.
  • It is unclear if there are any additional requirements beyond the credentials and experience mentioned in the bill.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 03/25/2025

  2. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 59

  3. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 59

  4. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 89, Nays 0, PNV 1

  10. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  11. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/13/2025

  14. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/6/2025

  15. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/4/2025

  17. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  19. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  20. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  21. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  22. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  23. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 2/20/2025

  24. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  25. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/12/2025

  26. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  27. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee

  28. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  30. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  31. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  32. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes the board of medical examiners to register as a registered surgical assistant any applicant who presents, among other things, satisfactory evidence that the applicant h
olds and maintains a current
credential as a surgical assistant or surgical first assistant issued by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, the National Surgical Assistant Association, or the National Commission for Certification of Surgical Assistants or
t
heir successor
s. This bill adds a current credential as a surgical assistant or surgical first assistant issued by the
American Board of Surgical Assistants to the list.

Present law also authorizes
the board
to
register as a registered surgical assistan
t any applicant who presents, among other things, satisfactory evidence that the applicant
h
as practiced as a surgical assistant at any time in the six

months prior to July 1, 2017, provided the applicant registers with the board by December 31, 2019.
Thi
s bill revises this provision to, instead, so authorize the board

if
the applicant has practiced as a surgical assistant at any time in the six months prior to July 1, 2017
,
provided the applicant registers with the board
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 186
By Slater

SENATE BILL 174
By Massey

SB0174
000859
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63,
Chapter 6, relative to surgical assistants.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 63-6-219(b)(1), is amended by
deleting the language "or the National Commission for Certification of Surgical Assistants or
their successors" and substituting "the National Commission for Certification of Surgical
Assistants, the American Board of Surgical Assistants, or their successors".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 63-6-219(b)(3), is amended by
deleting the language "by December 31, 2019".
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.