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SB0865 • 2026

Insurance Companies, Agents, Brokers, Policies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, relative to insurance.

Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
Stevens, Gant
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on how other parts of insurance operations are affected, beyond changing the reporting deadline.

Changing Insurance Company Reporting Dates

This bill changes the deadline for insurance companies to submit their annual disclosure report from June 1st to July 1st.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the deadline for insurance companies and groups to submit their annual disclosure report from June 1st to July 1st.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Insurance companies in Tennessee

Terms To Know

Commissioner of Commerce and Insurance
The person in charge of overseeing insurance companies in Tennessee.
Annual Disclosure Report
A yearly report that insurance companies must send to the state government with information about their business.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if a company misses the new July 1st deadline.
  • The bill does not change other parts of how insurance companies operate in Tennessee besides this reporting date.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0705

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated that requires group health insurance policies to offer continued coverage for up to four months after an employee's coverage is terminated under certain conditions.

  • Adds a requirement for group health insurance policies to provide continued coverage for up to four months if the policyholder has been continuously insured for at least three months and pays the full premium in advance.
  • Specifies that this continuation of coverage does not apply if the group policy is terminated entirely or with respect to an insured class, or if termination occurs due to non-payment, Medicare eligibility, or replacement by similar coverage within 31 days.
  • The amendment text does not specify how long after its enactment this requirement will apply to new policies and renewals.
Amendment 2-0 to HB0705

Plain English: This amendment changes references to 'portable electronics insurance' in Tennessee's insurance laws to include 'optical products insurance', expanding the types of items covered by such policies.

  • Expands the definition of portable electronics insurance to also cover optical products insurance, including smart glasses and non-electronic eyewear.
  • Updates various sections of Tennessee Code Annotated to replace references to 'portable electronics' with 'portable electronics or optical products'.
  • Adds a new subdivision defining 'optical products', which includes prescription and non-prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses.
  • The full impact of the amendment on insurance policies is not fully explained in the provided text.
  • Details about how this change will be implemented or enforced are limited to what is stated in the amendment.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0865

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee's insurance laws that allows employees whose group health insurance is terminated for reasons other than discontinuation of the entire policy or specific classes within it, and who have been continuously insured for at least three months, to continue their coverage for up to four more months if they pay the full premium in advance.

  • Adds a new section to Tennessee's insurance laws that allows employees to keep their group health insurance for up to four additional months after termination of employment or membership under certain conditions.
  • Specifies that an employee must have been continuously insured for at least three months before termination and must pay the full premium in advance to continue coverage.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if the group policy is terminated entirely or with respect to a specific class of members.
  • It also doesn't explain how premiums are calculated for continuation periods beyond the initial month of termination.
Amendment 2-0 to SB0865

Plain English: This amendment changes Tennessee's insurance laws to include optical products in addition to portable electronics.

  • Adds 'optical products' to the definition and coverage of insurance for portable electronic devices.
  • Updates various sections of the law to mention both 'portable electronics' and 'optical products'.
  • Specifies that 'optical products' include smart glasses, non-electronic eyewear, prescription and non-prescription eyeglasses, and sunglasses.
  • The full impact on insurance policies is not detailed in the amendment text.
  • Implementation details will be determined by future rules from the commissioner of commerce and insurance.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/14/2026

  4. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  5. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2026

  6. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  7. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 4/14/2026

  8. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 4/7/2026

  9. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/7/2026

  10. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  12. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/24/2026

  16. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Insurance Committee to 3/24/2026

  17. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/17/2026

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce & Labor Committee to 3/17/2026

  20. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/10/2026

  21. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  22. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/10/2026

  23. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Insurance Subcommittee

  24. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Insurance Committee

  25. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/3/2026

  27. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  30. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  31. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 705
By Gant

SENATE BILL 865
By Stevens

SB0865
002579
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56,
relative to insurance.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 56-2-904(a), is amended by deleting
the language "no later than June 1" wherever it appears and substituting "no later than July 1".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.