Health Care

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the Department of Health decides where to store patient records or what happens if they cannot find space for storing patient records.

Health Care Licensing for Nurses

This bill allows nurses providing home health services to up to four patients to qualify for a home care organization license without hiring staff or maintaining an office and requires them to request space from the Department of Health to store patient records if they do not have their own office.

What This Bill Does

• Allows nurses who provide home health services to up to four patients to qualify for a home care organization license without needing to hire staff or maintain an office.
• Requires these nurses to request space from the Department of Health to securely store patient records if they do not have their own office.
• Defines 'nurse' as someone with specific nursing licenses who provides services under a licensed home care organization to four or fewer patients.
• Gives the Department of Health permission to create rules for implementing this law.

Who It Names or Affects

• Nurses providing home health services to four or fewer patients
• The Tennessee Department of Health

Terms To Know

Home care organization

An organization that provides healthcare services in a patient's home.

Licensure

Getting official permission to provide a service or operate an organization.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the Department of Health will decide where to store patient records.
• It is unclear what happens if the Department of Health cannot find space for storing patient records.
• This law only applies to nurses providing home health services to four or fewer patients.

Official Summary Text

Present law generally describes a "home care organization" as
an organization that provides home health services, home medical equipment services, professional support services, or hospice services to
one
or more patients on an outpatient basis in either the patient's regular or temporary place of residence.

A provider is
generally
operating a home care organization if the provider does
any of
the following:



Holds itself out to the public as providing home health services, home medical equipment services, or hospice services
.


Contracts or agrees to deliver home health services, home medical equipment services, or hospice services
.


Accepts physician orders for home health services, home medical equipment services, or hospice services
.


Accepts responsibility for the delivery of home health services, home medical equipment services, or hospice services
.


Contracts to provide professional support services with the state agency financially responsible for services to individuals with mental, intellectual, or developmental disabilities
.

EXEMPTION TO HIRE STAFF OR MAINTAIN OFFICE BY NURSES

This bill clarifies that a nurse
is not required to hire staff or maintain an office in order to qualify for licensure as a home care organization licensed by the health facilities commission if the nurse submit
s
a request to the department of health for space at a location deemed appropriate by the department to securely store patient records. The department
must
provide such space upon request by a nurse.
As used in this bill, a
"nurse" means a person who is a licensed registered nurse, licensed practi
cal nurse, or certified nursing assistant who provides home health services under a licensed home care organization to
four
or less patients.

RULEMAKING

This bill authorizes the
department to promulgate rules to effectuate this
bill.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 2088
By Powers

SENATE BILL 2476
By Yager
SB2476
010556
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63
and Title 68, relative to health care.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 11, Part 2, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) A nurse is not required to hire staff or maintain an office in order to qualify for
licensure as a home care organization licensed by the health facilities commission if the
requirements in subsection (b) are met.
(b) If a nurse does not hire staff or maintain an office, then the nurse must
submit a request to the department of health for space at a location deemed appropriate
by the department to securely store patient records. The department of health shall
provide such space upon request by a nurse.
(c) As used in this section, "nurse" means a person who is a licensed registered
nurse, licensed practical nurse, or certified nursing assistant who provides home health
services under a licensed home care organization to four (4) or less patients.
(d) The department of health is authorized to promulgate rules to effectuate this
section. The rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative
Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.