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SB0231 • 2026

Insurance Companies, Agents, Brokers, Policies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to speech therapy.

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Akbari, Love
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/09/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill mandates a TACIR study on feasibility and potential effects, delaying full implementation until after July 31, 2026.

Speech Therapy Coverage for Stuttering

This bill requires health insurance plans to cover speech therapy for stuttering without limits on visits or medical necessity requirements and mandates TACIR to study its feasibility before implementation.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires health benefit plans that provide habilitative services to cover speech therapy for stuttering, regardless of whether the stuttering is developmental.
  • Requires health benefit plans that provide rehabilitative services to cover speech therapy for stuttering.
  • Requires health benefit plans that provide both habilitative and rehabilitative services to cover speech therapy as described above.
  • Removes any annual limits on visits to a speech-language pathologist for speech therapy.
  • Ensures coverage is not limited based on the cause of the stuttering.
  • Mandates TACIR to study the feasibility of implementing these requirements before they take effect.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People with health insurance plans that provide habilitative or rehabilitative services in Tennessee.
  • Insurance companies and their policies in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Habilitative Services
Healthcare services that help a person keep, learn, or improve skills for daily living.
Rehabilitative Services
Healthcare services that help a person restore or improve lost or impaired skills and functioning for daily living.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact impact on health insurance premiums is not fully known but may increase slightly.
  • TACIR must study the feasibility of implementing these requirements before they take effect.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0296

Plain English: The amendment requires TACIR to study the feasibility and potential effects of implementing insurance coverage requirements proposed in Senate Bill 231 and report back by January 15, 2026.

  • TACIR will conduct a study on the feasibility and potential impacts of the insurance coverage requirements from SB0231.
  • A report with findings and recommendations must be published and delivered to relevant officials no later than January 15, 2026.
  • The amendment does not specify what changes TACIR's study will recommend or how they might affect the original bill.
Amendment 2-0 to HB0296

Plain English: The amendment changes the deadline for a requirement in Senate Bill No. 231 from January 15, 2026 to July 31, 2026.

  • Changes the deadline from January 15, 2026 to July 31, 2026.
  • The amendment text does not provide details about what specific requirement is being delayed.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0231

Plain English: The amendment requires TACIR to study the feasibility and potential effects of implementing insurance coverage requirements proposed in Senate Bill 231 and publish a report by July 31, 2026.

  • Adds a requirement for TACIR to conduct a study on the feasibility and potential impacts of the insurance coverage requirements from SB0231.
  • Specifies that TACIR must deliver its findings in a report to key legislative officials by July 31, 2026.
  • The amendment does not specify what actions will be taken based on the study's results.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/09/2025

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 416

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 416

  4. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 85, Nays 4, PNV 0

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - HA0144)

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0143)

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  14. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025

  17. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  18. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  19. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025

  20. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  21. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to TACIR Calendar

  22. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  24. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  25. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  27. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  28. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0134)

  29. 2025-03-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/24/2025

  30. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  31. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/24/2025

  32. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  33. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  34. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/20/2025

  35. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/20/2025

  36. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  37. 2025-03-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/17/2025

  38. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/19/2025

  39. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Insurance Committee

  40. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  41. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  42. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  43. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  44. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  45. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Insurance Subcommittee

  46. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Insurance Committee

  47. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  48. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  49. 2025-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  50. 2025-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires a health benefit plan that amends, renews, or delivers a policy of coverage on
or after July 1, 2025, and that provides coverage for habilitative services, to provide coverage for habilitative speech therapy as a treatment for stuttering, regardless of whether the stuttering is classified as developmental.

This bill requires a he
alth benefit plan that amends, renews, or delivers a policy of coverage on or after July 1, 2025, and that provides coverage for rehabilitative services, to provide coverage for rehabilitative speech therapy as a treatment for stuttering.

This bill requi
res a health benefit plan that amends, renews, or delivers a policy of coverage on or after July 1, 2025, and that provides coverage for both habilitative services and rehabilitative services, to provide the coverage as described above.

This bill further
provides that the coverage required by this bill:



Must not be subject to any maximum annual benefit limit, including any limits on the number of visits an insured may make to a speech-language pathologist.



Must not be limited based on the type of disease, injury, disorder, or other medical condition that resulted in the stuttering.



Must not be subject to utilization review or utilization management requirements, including prior authorization or a determination that the speech therapy services are medically necessary.



Must include coverage for speech therapy provided in person and via telehealth.

This bill applies to the state insurance plan; a policy or contract for health insurance coverage provided under the TennCare medical assistance program; and
a policy or contract for health insurance coverage provided under the CoverKids program.

ON MARCH 24, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 231, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require t
he Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations (TACIR)
to
conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing and potential effects of enacting the insurance coverage requirements proposed in Senate Bill 231 of the 114
th
General Assembly, a
s originally filed with the chief clerk of the senate on January 21, 2025. TACIR
must
publish a report of its findings and recommendations and deliver a copy of the report to the chief clerk of the senate, the chief clerk of the house of representatives,
and the legislative librarian no later than July 31, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 296
By Love

SENATE BILL 231
By Akbari

SB0231
000023
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8;
Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to
speech therapy.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, Chapter 7, Part 23, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Habilitative services" means healthcare services that help an
individual keep, learn, or improve skills and functioning for daily living;
(2) "Habilitative speech therapy" means speech therapy that helps a
person keep, learn, or improve skills and functioning for daily living;
(3) "Health benefit plan":
(A) Means a hospital or medical expense policy; health, hospital,
or medical service corporation contract; policy or agreement entered into
by a health insurer; or health maintenance organization contract offered
by an employer;
(B) Includes a state insurance plan set out in title 8, chapter 27; a
policy or contract for health insurance coverage provided under the
TennCare medical assistance program or a successor program provided
for in title 71, chapter 5; and a policy or contract for health insurance
coverage provided under the CoverKids program or a successor program
provided for in title 71, chapter 3; and

- 2 - 000023

(C) Does not include policies or certificates covering only
accident, credit, dental, disability income, long-term care, hospital
indemnity, medicare supplement, as defined in § 1882(g)(1) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1395ss(g)(1)), specified disease, or vision care;
other limited benefit health insurance; coverage issued as a supplement
to liability insurance; workers' compensation insurance; automobile
medical payment insurance; or insurance that is statutorily required to be
contained in any liability insurance policy or equivalent self insurance;
(4) "Rehabilitative services" means healthcare services that help a
person restore or improve skills and functioning for daily living that have been
lost or impaired;
(5) "Rehabilitative speech therapy" means speech therapy that helps a
person restore or improve skills and functioning for daily living that have been
lost or impaired; and
(6) "Speech therapy" means the therapeutic care provided to an
individual for treatment administered by a licensed speech language pathologist.
(b) A health benefit plan that amends, renews, or delivers a policy of coverage
on or after July 1, 2025, and that provides coverage for:
(1) Habilitative services, must provide coverage for habilitative speech
therapy as a treatment for stuttering, regardless of whether the stuttering is
classified as developmental;
(2) Rehabilitative services, must provide coverage for rehabilitative
speech therapy as a treatment for stuttering; or
(3) Both habilitative services and rehabilitative services, must provide the
coverage required under subdivisions (b)(1) and (2).

- 3 - 000023

(c) The coverage required under subsection (b):
(1) Must not be subject to any maximum annual benefit limit, including
any limits on the number of visits an insured may make to a speech-language
pathologist;
(2) Must not be limited based on the type of disease, injury, disorder, or
other medical condition that resulted in the stuttering;
(3) Must not be subject to utilization review or utilization management
requirements, including prior authorization or a determination that the speech
therapy services are medically necessary; and
(4) Must include coverage for speech therapy provided in person and via
telehealth.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.