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.
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PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 883
SENATE BILL NO. 259
By Pody, Bowling
Substituted for: House Bill No. 853
By Reneau, Cochran, Hardaway, Barrett, Vital, Crawford, Greg Martin
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 49; Title 63 and Title
68, relative to healthcare treatment of minors.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 33-8-202(c), is amended by deleting the
subsection and substituting:
(c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), and to the extent allowable by federal
privacy laws and regulations:
(1) As used in this subsection (c):
(A) "Prescription records" means documents, data, or other recorded
information created, maintained, or transmitted by a licensed healthcare
provider, pharmacy, or other authorized entity that relate to prescribing,
dispensing, or administering of medication to a patient, including written,
electronic, or verbal prescriptions, medication orders, dosage instructions,
refill authorizations, dispensing logs, pharmacy records, and modifications,
renewals, or cancellations of a prescription; and
(8) "Rehabilitation records":
(i) Means records concerning a diagnosis, treatment
recommendation, discharge summary, or prescribed course of action
provided by a healthcare provider to a patient in connection with
rehabilitation services; and
(ii) Does not include personal notes, statements, or
communications originating from the patient that are documented,
interpreted, or formalized by the provider as part of the medical record.
(2) A child's parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian may access prescription
records and rehabilitation records resulting from treatment provided to an
unemancipated minor pursuant to this section.
(3) Notwithstanding subdivision (c)(2), a child's parent, legal guardian, or legal
custodian shall not access prescription records or rehabilitation records resulting from
treatment provided to an unemancipated minor pursuant to this section if the treating
professional is required to report abuse of the unemancipated minor pursuant to § 37-
1-403 or§ 37-1-605, and the treating professional believes that access to prescription
records or rehabilitation records is reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical
safety of the minor.
(4) If an unemancipated minor communicates suicidal ideations to the treating
professional, and the professional, using the reasonable skill, knowledge, and care
ordinarily possessed and exercised by the professional's specialty under similar
circumstances, has determined or reasonably should have determined that the
SB259
unemancipated minor has the apparent ability to attempt suicide and is likely to
attempt suicide unless prevented from doing so, then the treating professional shall,
in addition to any other duties required by law, report such suicidal ideations to the
unemancipated minor's parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-8-103(c)(4), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting:
(4) To access and review a child's medical records, as defined in § 63-2-101,
including prescription records and rehabilitation records as defined in § 33-8-202;
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-304(i), is amended by deleting the
subsection and substituting:
(i) A parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other person with medical decision-
making authority for an unemancipated minor may access, and a healthcare provider or
healthcare facility shall provide access, in accordance with § 36-8-103, to the unemancipated
minor's medical records resulting from medical treatment provided without parental consent,
including treatment provided pursuant to § 68-10-104(c), § 68-34-107, § 63-6-220, § 63-6-
222, or § 63-6-223.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-3040), is amended by deleting the
subsection and substituting:
0) Notwithstanding subsection (i), a child's parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian
shall not access, in accordance with § 36-8-103, the unemancipated minor's medical records
resulting from treatment provided without parental consent, including treatment provided
pursuant to § 68-10-104(c), § 68-34-107, § 63-6-220, § 63.-6-222, or § 63-6-223, if the
treating professional is required to report abuse of the unemancipated minor pursuant to §
37-1-403 or§ 37-1-605, and the treating professional believes that access to medical records
is reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the minor.
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 63-1-176(c)(6), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting:
(6) An employee of a local education agency or public institution of higher education
acts to control bleeding using a bleeding control kit pursuant to§ 49-2-137;
SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
2
SENATE BILL NO. 259
PASSED: April 16, 2026
fr.._ ~ ."".._.-.'. \ ~ ~ - -' RANDLY-M~c"N'~LLY
SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
CAMERO'l'f'SEXTON,SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APPROVED this c;!2--- day of (V\O\<Lo 2026
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BILL LEE, GOVERNOREvery fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.