Health Care

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 6, relative to the practice of medicine.

Healthcare Technology

Active

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

Sponsor: Haile, Martin B
Last action: 2026-01-21
Official status: Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide details on how these new terms will be regulated or enforced, leaving this aspect unclear.

Expanding Medical Practice Definitions

This bill updates Tennessee's medical practice regulations by adding new terms to indicate someone is a licensed doctor.

What This Bill Does

Adds 'clinical informatics' as one of the words or abbreviations that can be used with a name to show someone is engaged in the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine.
Includes 'lifestyle medicine' among the terms indicating someone practices medicine or osteopathic medicine.
Lists 'medical virtualist' among the words and abbreviations suggesting someone is engaged in medical practice.

Who It Names or Affects

Medical professionals who use these new terms to describe their work.
Regulatory bodies overseeing the practice of medicine in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Practice of Medicine: The activities and services provided by medical doctors, including diagnosing and treating patients.
Clinical Informatics: A field that uses information technology to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify how these new terms will be regulated or enforced.
The bill's impact on existing medical practice regulations is unclear.

Bill History

2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Withdrawn.
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Health Committee
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 1/21/2026
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law defines "practice of medicine" for purposes of regulation of medical professionals in this state. The term specifically includes
attaching
certain
words or abbreviations to a name, either alone or in connection with other words or abbreviations indicating or inducing others to believe that the person is engaged in the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine
, such as "
Doctor of medicine
", "M.D.", "D.O.", and "allergist", among others.

This bill adds the following additional words to the current list in present law:
"
c
linical informatics"
,
"
l
ifestyle medicine"
,
or

"
m
edical virtualist"
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 1655
By Martin B

SENATE BILL 1496
By Haile
SB1496
010361
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63,
Chapter 6, relative to the practice of medicine.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 63-6-204(m)(1), is amended by
adding the following as new subdivisions:
(SS) "Clinical informatics";
(TT) "Lifestyle medicine"; or
(UU) "Medical virtualist";
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming law, the public welfare requiring it.