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SB1385 • 2026

Public Health

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

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Watson, Helton-Haynes
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/21/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's exact effective date is still pending and needs confirmation.

Medical Laboratory Supervisor Availability

This law changes when and how medical laboratory supervisors must be available for consultations during testing hours.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires a medical laboratory supervisor to be readily available for consultations during all hours when tests are performed.
  • Prohibits the requirement that a medical laboratory supervisor must physically stay at the lab premises.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Medical laboratory supervisors
  • People who work in medical laboratories

Terms To Know

Medical Laboratory Supervisor
A person with special training and experience who oversees the work of a medical lab.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how supervisors should be available or what kind of consultations are needed.
  • It is unclear if there will be any changes to other rules about medical laboratories in Tennessee.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0466

Plain English: The amendment changes when a certain part of the bill becomes effective.

  • Removes the original Section 2 from Senate Bill No. 1385 and replaces it with new language.
  • The exact content of the removed section is not provided, so we cannot explain what was originally there or how this change affects specific details.
  • It's unclear why only Section 2 is being amended instead of other sections in the bill.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1385

Plain English: The amendment changes when a part of Senate Bill No. 1385 becomes effective.

  • Removes the original Section 2 from SB1385 and replaces it with new language that states the act will take effect immediately upon becoming law because of public welfare needs.
  • The amendment text does not provide details about what specific changes were in the original Section 2, so we cannot explain those removed provisions.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/21/2025

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 232

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 232

  4. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 95, Nays 0, PNV 0

  10. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0257)

  11. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/7/2025

  14. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/3/2025

  15. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 4/1/2025

  17. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Health Committee to 4/1/2025

  18. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/25/2025

  19. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  21. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  23. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  24. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0022)

  25. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/3/2025

  26. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  30. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  31. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  32. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee

  33. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  34. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 3, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1385, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 changes the effective date of the bill from July 1, 2025, to upon becoming a law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 466
By Helton-Haynes

SENATE BILL 1385
By Watson

SB1385
001881
- 1 -

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

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 29, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Each medical laboratory shall have a medical laboratory supervisor readily
available for consultations during all hours when tests are performed.
(b) A medical laboratory shall not require a medical laboratory supervisor to be
on laboratory premises.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.