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SB2194 • 2026

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 48, Chapter 68 and Title 68, Chapter 11, relative to hospitals.

Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Johnson, McCalmon
Last action
2026-04-07
Official status
Transmitted to Governor for action.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information about the bill's impact on smaller hospitals or its broader implications for community health services.

Changes for Public Benefit Hospitals

This bill requires Tennessee's attorney general to consider if proceeds from certain hospital transactions will be controlled independently of the buyer or related entities when deciding whether to object to these transactions, with exemptions for large county government hospitals.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the attorney general to consider whether proceeds from a public benefit hospital transaction will be controlled independently of the acquiring entity or related companies when deciding whether to object to the transaction.
  • Exempts hospitals established solely for county government benefits and valued over $500 million from this requirement, provided that such exemption is approved by 2/3 vote in the county's legislative body.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The attorney general of Tennessee
  • Public benefit hospitals and their related entities
  • County governments with large public benefit hospitals

Terms To Know

public benefit hospital
A hospital that serves the community for its welfare, often receiving special treatment from the government.
conveyance transaction
The act of transferring ownership or control of a property or asset, in this case, a hospital.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if a county does not approve the exemption for large hospitals.
  • It is unclear how the new requirements will affect smaller hospitals that do not meet the $500 million threshold.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2337

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain hospitals are classified and affects their relationship with local governments.

  • It exempts hospitals established solely for county government benefit and valued over $500 million from being considered public benefit hospital entities under specific conditions.
  • It requires a two-thirds vote by the legislative body of the county to make this exemption effective in that county.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how hospitals will be affected beyond these changes, so some impacts are unclear.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2194

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain hospitals are classified and affects their relationship with local governments.

  • It removes specific hospitals from being considered 'public benefit hospital entities' if they were established solely for a county government and have an estimated sales value of more than $500 million.
  • It requires that such hospitals must be approved by a two-thirds vote in the legislative body of their county to apply this new classification.
  • The amendment text does not specify which hospitals are affected, only describing criteria they must meet.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  2. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  3. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  4. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  5. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0804)

  7. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  9. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  11. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  12. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  14. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 1

  16. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0733)

  17. 2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/23/2026

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  23. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  24. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  25. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  27. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Health Committee

  28. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  31. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  34. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2194, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require the attorney general, in making a decision as to whether to object to a public benefit hospital conveyance transaction, to consider whether the proceeds will be controlled as funds independently of the
acquiring or related entities. However, such consideration does not apply if the hospital was established solely for the benefit of a county government and has an estimated sales value of more than $500 million. This exemption only becomes effective in
a
county government that contains such a hospital upon approval by a 2/3 vote of the legislative body of the county government.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 2337
By McCalmon

SENATE BILL 2194
By Johnson
SB2194
012388
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 48,
Chapter 68 and Title 68, Chapter 11, relative to
hospitals.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 48-68-203(a), is amended by adding
the following language after the first sentence:
Such notice must be provided not less than thirty (30) days prior to the transaction.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.