[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6309467,"mediaKeyId","2412386-535f9070a9ff0d948212a7dac1c10e4e","parentId",2412386,"title","Votes at a glance: Health & Welfare committee advances multiple bills, sends several to finance and calendar","audioSeconds",2610,"startMs",1996000,"endMs",4606000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2412386-535f9070a9ff0d948212a7dac1c10e4e&start=1996&end=4606","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2412386-535f9070a9ff0d948212a7dac1c10e4e/thumbnail_1996000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6309467/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-Health-Welfare-committee-advances-multiple-bills-sends-several-to-finance-and-calendar","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309467-2d69e41336486696b8c4738ef33612f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161501&Signature=iDUwDPKQEfGoMRlKzdBNGfprGiAuVG7yvhWXC9Hr1Pf2x4Jhe5BY-uoQiuQUs8iqIEPAQvmuYM3k4p7fVPJPmxYbVZaSdO07fMaSiEQzshGuBaffz9Qp66XU45hA0iDkuGFCWlsAFSjxSXuYuVRvsuIqatzC1gAZ5aPb7IHrJ4-5O~OEG96RTuYZXSOhV~UXfL3Fk2EfxJVPVqnXThPpM6HkAqlSocbX-T2oMTzIRH1RFNWul2YKij-mLjOxY3FIIKxdjGUFL~Joz7704I9N6kNmNXSnGYmu8vgGCsfCnWoZlSJp9g6qoPeU6~DizZF5786~wxM1LHiRQnqBvQMByw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN State Legislature","date","2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Health and Welfare Committee considered multiple bills and budget items in a single session and recorded a series of roll‑call outcomes. Several measures were advanced to the Finance Committee for fiscal review, while others were placed on the Senate calendar or referred to Commerce.

Key roll calls and formal actions recorded during the meeting:

- Senate Bill 747 (renewal of ground ambulance assessment with amendment changing payment timing from 30 to 45 days): amendment adopted; bill sent to Finance (roll call recorded 9 ayes). Sponsor: Sen. Yeager.

- Senate Bill 748 (increase reimbursement for ground nonemergency ambulance runs from 67.5% of Medicaid rate to 100%): motion carried; bill sent to Finance (roll call recorded 9 ayes). Sponsor: Sen. Yeager.

- Senate Bill 1198 (restoring critical‑access hospital designation for Perry County and Decatur County hospitals): motion carried; went to calendar (recorded ayes on roll call). Sponsor: Sen. Jackson.

- Senate Bill 210 (Save the Rural Ambulance Act / reimbursement-update measure introduced by Sen. Jackson later in the hearing): motion carried; referred to Commerce (roll call recorded 7 ayes in committee). Sponsor: Sen. Jackson.

- Senate Bill 1385 (amendment and adoption regarding lab supervisor on-premises hours): amendment adopted, bill sent to calendar (roll call recorded ayes).

- Senate Bill 282 (individualized investigational treatment; right‑to‑try–style language): amendment adopted; bill passed out of committee to calendar with recorded tally 8 ayes, 1 no.

- Senate Bill 1269 (statutory updates to align department name to Department of Disability and Aging and record-keeping clarifications): bill passed to calendar (roll call recorded 9 ayes).

- Senate Bill 1283 (adds hepatitis C screening and additional syphilis testing in pregnancy): bill passed to calendar (roll call recorded 8 ayes, 1 present/not voting).

- Senate Bill 1284 (health-care oversight, disciplinary and records provisions): bill passed to calendar (roll call recorded 8 ayes, 1 no).

- Senate Bill 955 (Medical Ethics Defense Act protecting conscientious objectors among health professionals): amendment adopted; bill passed to calendar (roll call recorded 7 ayes, 1 no).

Committee budget items and other formal actions:

- Commission on Children and Youth budget: committee voted to send a letter to Finance asking that CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) funding be held harmless and to include funding for four new Safe Baby Court‑associated CASA programs (motion passed; committee instructed staff to send letter to Finance signed by committee members).

- The committee took up departmental budgets (Department of Disability and Aging and Health Facilities Commission). Both departments presented line‑item requests and answered members’ questions. Budget items were forwarded to Finance according to committee practice (roll-call outcomes recorded in session notes).

Votes were taken by roll call for each measure; the committee recorded final tallies and routing instructions (finance, calendar, commerce) as shown above. Where the committee adopted an amendment on a bill, the amendment text was noted on the record and the amended bill advanced.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Health and Welfare Committee\tFeb 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Health and Welfare Committee advanced multiple bills on May 20, routing some measures to Finance for fiscal review and placing others on the Senate calendar or referring them to Commerce.","taxTitle","Health and Welfare, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",29601,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6309472,"Committee adds alpha‑gal syndrome to reportable diseases list after patient testimony",187,2202000,2389000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2412386-535f9070a9ff0d948212a7dac1c10e4e&start=2202&end=2389","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2412386-535f9070a9ff0d948212a7dac1c10e4e/thumbnail_2202000.jpg","/articles/6309472/Tennessee/Committee-adds-alphagal-syndrome-to-reportable-diseases-list-after-patient-testimony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309472-c84f28f094b452b0dd81ebb45b3ade7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161501&Signature=Gs3FibnD6-Q6BWhcCwiAyjiqcVKMm-uNgswdBBGzJH8FvqagbyJVfkn-8FSQC3eK3Enk8AjtkJXsVhE4YwIroVhPbksH1eQ4-NZhx-Xbf5iYNrciCOVE~cquBs4GzvkVRW-cpiNysfTBFKhZ5lyoLayyjQQ7MFFopYpm2YVAcNRO9-APHVgtqNxSyhhYeJQk4phqGuuMOEJ6kgQ5SERs9dBce3~uC8Ypmalh2TXQFrzYpdt3U8HGlLAbG9YBURB8QMYJrEkYlh5C~iK3dY3h7ylEIIGOQmqHVLBJyIZ2K~t4gBi1kuSCR0D1N8HmyYZWuCX2lllgrOG78tItRmEcvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee approved a bill to add alpha‑gal syndrome — a red‑meat allergy caused by a lone star tick bite — to the Department of Health's published list of reportable diseases and conditions and sent it to the Senate calendar.

Sponsor Sen. Frank Yager described alpha‑gal as a serious allergy linked to the lone star tick found in Tennessee and said adding it to the Department of Health's list would improve surveillance and help secure federal funding. Jody Zorsch of Morgan County testified for about three minutes, saying she suffered undiagnosed symptoms for about a decade before receiving her diagnosis last year. Zorsch told the committee that alpha‑gal can trigger reactions to many everyday items with mammalian byproducts (red meat, medicines, paper products, laundry items) and that it is estimated to affect far more Tennesseans than other tickborne diseases tracked in state data.

Zorsch cited national estimates and Centers for Disease Control figures, saying the CDC estimates up to 450,000 Americans may have alpha‑gal syndrome and that the condition is concentrated in the Southeast. The sponsor and Zorsch argued that formal reporting would improve understanding of the syndrome's prevalence and support applications for federal assistance.

After the testimony the committee voted to send the bill to the Senate calendar. The roll call recorded nine ayes.","Senate Health and Welfare voted to send legislation adding alpha‑gal syndrome to the Department of Health's reportable-diseases list to the Senate calendar after testimony from a patient who said the condition is undercounted in Tennessee.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6309475,"Committee sends 'Emma's Bill' to finance after emotional testimony on TennCare nursing rules",1269,667000,1936000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2412386-535f9070a9ff0d948212a7dac1c10e4e&start=667&end=1936","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2412386-535f9070a9ff0d948212a7dac1c10e4e/thumbnail_667000.jpg","/articles/6309475/Tennessee/Committee-sends-Emmas-Bill-to-finance-after-emotional-testimony-on-TennCare-nursing-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6309475-cc50d8bf2021c65247366bc6fb3b5423/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161501&Signature=CGVe1lmua8ubgq2Ydp7N2cPu86WpyRMPvBen6sET97JqD4m1Wrpx5Ne0UKI0uqJFswfkQY6dgxO3ACbI3rVi5V1zrD9~MsWTPvzI8o6z9tUbXoqb6a7cTOymB~ey8syWjkk18nfY~52pGOTvcb3gWNk7xF03rxVZJ1lsbdAOyxXSs7kXLrTT1-21A60kSxhe5ilAyRIXOt7o48G9nHeWRsJtpNDtIqmqR19HRC5qUD5LE97EPBA3XSGzL-NnPINunpfTwPmlBDr3slDgIjwLpfwANa4LEU8Oo1XM6DRcCqADWMd1X2~6aXfDQ0sSIdYfJCIHL4nOOAkgmmW0bcAzhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Health and Welfare members voted to send Senate Bill 650, known in testimony as \"Emma's Bill,\" to the Finance Committee after hearing emotional testimony from the patient's parents and a detailed explanation of current TennCare policy from agency officials.

The bill would require the TennCare Bureau to consider a patient's overall welfare — rather than treat the cost-of-alternative as a determinative prong — when reviewing coverage for private duty nursing and related supports. Sponsor Chairman Ferrell Crowe said the bill is intended to preserve coverage for people like Emma, a college freshman who suffered severe brain injury and later improved but no longer met the program's ventilator-time threshold that triggered eligibility for round-the-clock nursing.

Emma's father, Mark Harrod, and her mother, Jody Harrod, described Emma's medical course and the family care they provide. They told the committee that, after improvement reduced Emma's nightly ventilator use from 12 to eight hours, TennCare reduced the private duty nursing funding that paid for 24-hour nursing the family says Emma needs to prevent life‑threatening events such as aspiration.

Victor Reed, chief medical officer at TennCare, and Ashley Reed (division of TennCare) explained the agency's current practice: TennCare's adult private duty nursing benefit requires meeting several clinical conditions (including tracheostomy dependence and frequent suctioning) and defines ventilator dependence operationally as use for 12 hours or more. Reed said the 12‑hour clinical threshold is a state rule implemented by TennCare to align clinical criteria and control program costs. He described private duty nursing as costly and said the program must consider the cost of alternative settings (consumer-directed services, nursing facilities, etc.) when evaluating medical necessity. TennCare staff estimated more than 1,000 TennCare members receive some type of nursing service and said removing the cost-consideration prong would have a significant fiscal impact across the program.

Committee members pressed TennCare on whether the 12‑hour standard is federally mandated; Reed said the 12‑hour definition is part of TennCare's rules rather than an explicit federal standard, though federal requirements influence the overall benefit design. Several senators, including Sen. Hensley and Sen. Massey, expressed sympathy for families like Emma's and requested further work with TennCare to find an amendment that could address the family's circumstances while accounting for program fiscal limits.

Chairman Crowe said he would work with TennCare and stakeholders on possible amendments before the bill reaches Finance. The committee voted 9–0 to send SB 650 to the Finance Committee.

The committee also recessed briefly to allow Mark and Jody Harrod to testify at the microphones. Their testimony described Emma's hospitalization, hospice placement, slow improvement, ongoing 24‑hour care needs, and the family's unsuccessful appeal to a judge who cited the statutory/administrative 12‑hour standard.

The committee discussion and the agency's responses left open specific drafting choices; TennCare indicated it would analyze cost impacts and work with the sponsor on potential amendments prior to finance consideration.","The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send Senate Bill 650 — known as \"Emma's Bill\" — to the finance committee after parents of a young woman affected by TennCare rules testified and TennCare officials described fiscal and program constraints tied to a 12-hour ventilator threshold.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Health & Welfare committee advances multiple bills, sends several to finance and calendar

Committee adds alpha‑gal syndrome to reportable diseases list after patient testimony

Committee sends 'Emma's Bill' to finance after emotional testimony on TennCare nursing rules