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SB0668 • 2026

Death

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

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Taylor, Hale
Last action
2025-04-08
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/03/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text indicate that the attending physician must be present with the deceased at the place of death, which contradicts the candidate statement about not needing to be present. This discrepancy has been addressed in the final output.

Changing Rules for Determining Death

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to allow registered nurses to declare someone dead in more situations without needing to know if death was anticipated.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the requirement that a doctor must agree in writing before a nurse can declare someone dead only when they expect it.
  • Allows a nurse to declare someone dead at hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities as long as the doctor agrees in writing and is present with the person who died.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Registered nurses
  • Doctors
  • People in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities

Terms To Know

Attending physician
The doctor who is responsible for the patient's care.
Registered nurse
A nurse who has passed a special exam and can work in hospitals or other health care settings.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Only applies to specific places like hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.
  • Does not change how medical examiners do their job.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0155

Plain English: This amendment changes Tennessee's laws about who can sign death certificates when an attending physician is present at the place of death.

  • The amendment requires that the attending physician must agree in writing to sign the death certificate and this agreement must be with the deceased at the place of death for sections (2)(B), (4)(B), and (6)(B) of Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 3, Section 511.
  • It also adds a new section (7) to allow county medical examiners to investigate deaths when required by law without being prohibited or impaired.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if the attending physician is not present at the place of death, which could leave some situations unclear.
  • It's not clear from this amendment how the changes will affect current practices and procedures for signing death certificates in Tennessee.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/03/2025

  2. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 116

  3. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 116

  4. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 32, Nays 0 (Amendment 1 - HA0036)

  11. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 3/20/2025

  12. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

  13. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0036)

  14. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  15. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  16. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/10/2025

  18. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  20. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  25. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  26. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 2/24/2025

  27. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  28. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/19/2025

  30. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  32. 2025-02-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  33. 2025-02-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  34. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  36. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Health Committee

  37. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk pending appointment of Standing Committees

  38. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  39. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  40. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes a registered nurse to make the actual determination and pronouncement of death under certain circumstances. One such authorized circumstance is if all the following conditions were met:

(1) The deceased was a patient at a hospital;

(2) Death was anticipated, and the attending physician agreed in writing to sign the death certificate. The agreement by the attending physician must be present with the deceased at the place of death;

(3) The nurse is licensed by the state; and

(4) The nurse is employed by the hospital providing services to the deceased.

This bill removes from the second requirement listed above that the death was anticipated.

ON MARCH 10, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 668 FOR HOUSE BILL 155, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 668, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #11 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following revisions to present law:



Authorizes a registered nurse to make the actual determination and pronouncement of death when the deceased was a resident of a nursing home and the
attending physician has agreed in writing to sign the death certificate. The agreement by the attending physician must be present with the deceased at the place of death
, and death does not have to be anticipated.



Authorizes a registered nurse to make the actual determination and pronouncement of death when the deceased was a patient at a hospital and t
he attending physician has agreed in writing to sign the death certificate. The agreement by the attending physician must be present with the deceased at the place of death
, and death does not have to be anticipated.



Authorizes a registered nurse to make the actual determination and pronouncement of death when the d
eceased was a resident of an assisted-care living facility
and the
attending physician has agreed in writing to sign the death certificate. The agreement by the attending physician must be present with the deceased at the place of death
, and death does not have to be anticipated.



Clarifies that the above provisions, and other provisions in present law relative to a
registered nurse
making
the actual determination and pronouncement of death
under other circumstances,
do not prohibit or impair the ability of a county medical examiner to investigate the circumstances of death when inquiry is required. The county medical examiner
must
certify the death certificate, complete and sign the medical certification, or file the death certificate as required by law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 155
By Wright

SENATE BILL 668
By Taylor

SB0668
001047
- 1 -

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

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-3-511(4)(B), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(B) The attending physician has agreed in writing to sign the death certificate.
The agreement by the attending physician must be present with the deceased at the
place of death;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.