Bills advanced from House Health Committee: summary and vote outcomes

The House Health Committee advanced multiple bills to the full Health Committee on March 12. Most passed on unanimous or near‑unanimous votes. Key items and committee votes follow.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 13‑10 (sponsor: Chairlady Haynes): Modernizes and cleans up environmental health statutes, allows the food safety code to be modified by rule, adjusts inspection schedules (for example quarterly pool inspections), and limits fee increases in proposed rules to 3% per year (no more than 5% over five years). Committee vote: 9 ayes, 0 nays. HB 13‑10 moves to Health Full.

- House Bill 8‑43 (sponsor: Chairman Haston): Designates two hospitals in Perry and Decatur counties as critical access hospitals to help them meet federal requirements as they reopen following past closures. Committee vote: ayes, 0 nays. HB 8‑43 moves to Health Full.

- House Bill 4‑98 (sponsor: Chairman Hale): Reestablishes a task force to examine provider reimbursement rates and to recommend policies to state agencies; members to be appointed by legislative leaders and serve without pay. Committee vote: 9 ayes, 0 nays. HB 4‑98 moves to Health Full.

- House Bill 1‑33 (carried on behalf of Representative Kevin Raper): Extends an existing pilot program for residential facilities for people with developmental and physical disabilities into the Eastern Grand Division and adds a reporting requirement; the program cannot be extended until reporting is completed. Committee vote: 9 ayes, 0 nays. HB 1‑33 moves to Health Full.

- House Joint Resolution 149 (sponsor: Representative Lynn): A nonbinding resolution encouraging Tennesseans to learn about minimally processed foods, sleep and exercise (titled in committee as “Make Tennessee Healthy Again”); committee vote: 9 ayes, 0 nays. HJR 149 moves to Health Full.

- House Bill 12‑80 (sponsor: Chairman Hill): Creates a medical expense relief fund to assist next of kin and the state when individuals enrolled in TennCare die with outstanding TennCare obligations; the sponsor said the fund would be a grant fund and that TennCare would seek grants before estate recovery. Committee vote: 9 ayes, 0 nays. HB 12‑80 moves to Health Full.

- House Bill 8‑30 (sponsor: Chairman Terry): Modifies membership and eligibility rules for the Medical Cannabis Commission and clarifies that the commission may make policy recommendations should federal scheduling change. Committee vote: 9 ayes, 0 nays. HB 8‑30 moves to Health Full.

Other procedural notes: Several agenda items were rolled or taken off notice earlier in the hearing. For each bill above, the committee recorded votes and the chair declared each bill moved to the full Health Committee.

What to watch next: All advanced bills will be considered by the full Health Committee in subsequent sessions; records show unanimous support on the committee for the items listed above.