With the state having nearly completely banned abortion, legislation related to abortion seems to largely be a thing of the past.
However, Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) and Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) have introduced House Bill 1528/Senate Bill 1743, which posits that life begins at conception — at least in wrongful death claims. Bills seeking to further limit access to abortion pills (which are already illegal in Tennessee, though the state cannot control mail between states) could be on the horizon too. House Republicans have also listed regulating the use of artificial intelligence in health care as one of their legislative priorities this year.
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SB 1469/HB 1723 from Sen. Page Walley (R-Savannah) and Rep. Ron Travis (R-Dayton) appears to target family influencers, requiring a parent to set aside a portion of money earned from videos featuring their child for the child. The legislation would also allow the minor to request deletion of such content once they reach adulthood.
Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville) told the Scene in August that she plans to file bills related to simplifying the process for child care center regulation. Meanwhile, her colleagues Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) and Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) have introduced legislation (HB 156/SB 36) that seeks to exempt child care agencies from paying business tax.
Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) has introduced SB 1598, which would prohibit medical debt from being shared with credit reporting agencies. More than 12 percent of Tennesseans have medical debt, making it the seventh-highest rate in the nation. Lamar has also revived a bill designed to keep people under 18 continuously enrolled in TennCare, rather than having to recertify yearly.
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“People are forced to make decisions around being able to pay rent or being able to choose life, and that’s being able to afford the health care you need to survive,” Lamar tells the Scene. “I don’t think the two should be competing with each other.”
Lamar has found a bipartisan issue in doula care. She’s introduced legislation to align with federal law that prevents hospitals from turning away women from the emergency room when they are in active labor. She’s also once again pushing for TennCare to cover doula care this year. Women on TennCare, who account for approximately 50 percent of the state’s births, are more likely to experience maternal mortality or infant mortality. Recent state-funded pilot programs have found that those with a doula are less likely to die or experience stillbirth or adverse health conditions — there’s no negative outcome to utilizing a doula, Lamar says.
“I may be a Democrat, but I think advocating for maternal health is pro-life policies,” she says. “I think it is one of those things where I can see alignment with my colleagues over division.”
A personal experience prompted Lamar to introduce this year’s SB 1565/HB 1534, which would establish a program providing funds to offset burial costs for women who experience a stillbirth — something that happened to her during her first year as a legislator.
“We’re living in a state that has now banned abortion, and we’re [one of] the highest in the country for maternal mortality,” she says. “We have a high infant mortality number. That’s a real expense for families that they’re not expecting. … I think we’ll help bring dignity to an already tough situation.”
From immigration enforcement to voucher expansion, the Republican supermajority is pushing for Tennessee to be the nation’s conservative leader
