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SB0575 • 2026

Health, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, relative to maternal health.

Healthcare
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Lamar, Hemmer
Last action
2025-04-04
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 99
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify enforcement mechanisms for hospitals and birthing centers that do not comply with the requirements.

Maternal Health Information Act

This law requires hospitals and birthing centers to provide new mothers with information about warning signs after giving birth and directs the Department of Health to supply this information.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires all hospitals and birthing centers that help with births to give new mothers information about post-birth warning signs, including symptoms and available resources, before they leave the hospital or birthing center.
  • Includes informing the mother's caregiver or at least one family member, if possible, about these warning signs.
  • Directs the Department of Health to provide this information to hospitals and birthing centers.
  • Requires the Department of Health to make this information available on their website.

Who It Names or Affects

  • New mothers who have given birth in a hospital or birthing center.
  • Hospitals and birthing centers that provide labor and delivery services.
  • The Tennessee Department of Health.

Terms To Know

Department
Refers to the Tennessee Department of Health.
Birthing centers
Places that provide care for women during childbirth, similar to hospitals but often smaller and more focused on natural birth methods.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if a hospital or birthing center fails to follow these requirements.
  • It is unclear how the Department of Health will ensure that all hospitals and birthing centers receive this information.
  • The exact details about post-birth warning signs are not provided in the bill.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 99

  2. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 99

  4. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  10. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  11. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  12. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/10/2025

  13. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  14. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  15. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  16. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0

  17. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/3/2025

  18. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/5/2025

  19. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/5/2025

  20. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/27/2025

  21. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  22. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/26/2025

  23. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 2/25/2025

  24. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Population Health Subcommittee for 2/18/2025

  27. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  28. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Population Health Subcommittee

  29. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee

  30. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  31. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  32. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires a
ll hospitals and birthing centers that provide labor and delivery services
to
provide a mother and, if possible, the mother's caregiver or at least one of the mother's family
members information about post-birth warning signs, including symptoms and available resources, prior to discharge following a birth.

The department
of health must
provide the information about post-birth warning signs, including symptoms and available r
esources, to all hospitals and birthing centers and have the information available on the department's website.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 572
By Hemmer

SENATE BILL 575
By Lamar

SB0575
001302
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68,
relative to maternal health.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 5, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Department" means the department of health;
(2) "Hospitals" has the same meaning as defined in § 68-11-201(31)(A)
and (B); and
(3) "Birthing centers" has the same meaning as defined in § 68-11-201.
(b) All hospitals and birthing centers that provide labor and delivery services
shall provide a mother and, if possible, the mother's caregiver or at least one (1) of the
mother's family members information about post-birth warning signs, including
symptoms and available resources, prior to discharge following a birth.
(c) The department shall provide the information about post-birth warning signs,
including symptoms and available resources, to all hospitals and birthing centers and
have the information available on the department's website.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.