Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Tennessee General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
..
:: \:d\: ~J~.r:],;URE :L"'"J •
.....
ff Slate Jennessee
PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 887
SENATE BILL NO. 1369
By Watson, Roberts, Stevens, Gardenhire, Harshbarger, Crowe, Bailey, Bowling, Reeves,
Hatcher
Substituted for: House Bill No. 819
By Garrett, Russell, Hawk, Kumar, Lamberth, Sparks, Littleton, Faison, Tim Hicks, Boyd,
Helton-Haynes, Alexander, Maberry, Reedy, Lafferty, Hill, Travis, Barrett, Hulsey, Rudd, McCalmon,
Crawford; Mr. Speaker Sexton; Eldridge, Sherrell, Vital, Bricken, Hale, Renea Jones, Cepicky
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 33; Title 68; Title 71 and Chapter 985 of
the Public Acts of 2024, relative to certificates of need.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1602(10)(8), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) An acute care hospital;
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1602, is amended by adding the
following as a new subdivision:
( ) "Acute care hospital" means a hospital with a primary focus on patients with an
average length of stay of twenty-five (25) days or less;
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1607, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
( ) This part does not require a certificate of need to establish or operate an acute
care hospital.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-204(a)(1), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) Acute care hospital;
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-202(a)(1 ), is amended by adding
"acute care hospitals," immediately preceding "recuperation centers".
SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1602(10)(8), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) A satellite emergency department;
SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1607(a)(6), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting:
(6) Except as provided in subsection (x), the establishment of a satellite inpatient
facility by a hospital at a location other than the hospital's main campus.
SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1607(x)(1), is amended by deleting
"and subject to subdivision (x)(3),".
SB 1369
SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1607(x)(3), is amended by deleting
the subdivision.
SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1607(y), is amended by deleting
the subsection.
SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-204(a)(1), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) Satellite emergency department;
SECTION 12. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-204, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
( ) A person or entity shall not establish or operate a satellite emergency department
unless the satellite emergency department is licensed as an outpatient department of a
hospital licensed under this title.
SECTION 13. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-205(g)(1)(A)(iii), is amended by
deleting the subdivision.
SECTION 14. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-202(a)(1), is amended by adding
"satellite emergency departments," immediately preceding "recuperation centers".
SECTION 15. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1602(10)(8), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:
( ) An agency, institution, facility, or place, whether publicly or privately owned or
operated, that provides cardiac catheterization;
SECTION 16. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-1607(a)(3)(E), is amended by
deleting the subdivision.
SECTION 17. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-204(a)(1), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
() Cardiac catheterization;
SECTION 18. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-204, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
( )(1) A person or entity shall not initiate or provide cardiac catheterization services
unless the facility providing such services is licensed as an outpatient department of a
hospital licensed under this title.
(2) Subdivision ( )(1) does not apply to a facility providing cardiac
catheterization services that was in operation as of the effective date of this act.
SECTION 19. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-202(a)(1), is amended by adding
"cardiac catheterizations," immediately preceding "recuperation centers".
SECTION 20. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 11, Part 2, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section, "acute ca"re hospital" means a hospital with a primary
focus on patients with an average length of stay of twenty-five (25) days or less.
(b) In addition to licensing standards and requirements applicable to all acute care
hospitals, the commission is authorized to adopt by rule licensing standards as described in
this subsection (b) for acute care hospitals licensed on or after July 1, 2030. Such standards
must include, at a minimum, requirements that an acute care hospital:
(1) Participate in the TennCare .medi~al assistance program and provide an
amount of care to patients who are TennCare enrollees that is comparable to similarly
situated acute care hospitals; and
(2) Provide an amount of charity care that is comparable to similarly situated
acute care hospitals.
2
SB 1369
(c) In developing licensing standards pursuant to this section, the commission shall
complete a report by January 1, 2031, that includes a compilation of payor mix information by
geographical area and type of medical treatment or procedure. The payor mix information
must include percentages of patients who are TennCare enrollees, medicare patients, or
charity care patients. The report must be developed with participation from and input of
various stakeholders, including existing acute care hospitals, physicians, nonprofit hospitals,
rural hospitals, investor-owned hospitals, and others at the discretion of the commission.
SECTION 21.
(a) For the purpose of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming a law,
the public welfare requiring it.
(b) For all other purposes:
(1) Sections 1-5 take effect July 1, 2030, the public welfare requiring it;
(2) Sections 6-19 take effect July 1, 2028, the public welfare requiring it; and
(3) The remainder of this act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public
welfare requiring it.
3
SENATE BILL NO. 1369
PASSED: April 16, 2026
RANDY McNALL
SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
CAMER----XTON,SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
rvb O APPROVED this C:Jl:L day of 2026
Iii,,"'-~ r
BILL LEE, GOVERNOREvery fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.