Tennessee House Bill HB0263

Tennessee 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/19/23

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 14; Title 33; Title 37; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 68, relative to vaccines.

Impact

The implications of HB0263 could significantly affect public health policies in Tennessee. By altering the definitions and approval criteria for vaccines, the bill primarily seeks to ensure that only fully approved vaccines are available for use, potentially reducing the reliance on vaccines authorized for emergency use. This could impact vaccination programs, especially those designed to combat ongoing public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. The language of the bill suggests a move towards consolidating vaccine policies that align more closely with federally established approval processes.

Summary

House Bill 263 (HB0263) proposes amendments to Tennessee Code Annotated across multiple titles concerning vaccines. The primary intent of the bill is to delineate conditions under which vaccines may be accepted and the approval status required for them to be administered. Notably, the bill specifies that it aims to restrict the acceptance of any vaccine that has not received full approval from the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This particularly emphasizes the COVID-19 vaccine under the revised definitions.

Contention

Despite the bill's intentions of streamlining vaccine acceptance protocols, it is likely to raise points of contention among public health advocates and citizens concerned about vaccine availability and public health responses. Critics may argue that restricting access to emergency use authorized vaccines can hinder efforts to control outbreaks, particularly during public health emergencies where time-sensitive decisions are crucial. The discussions surrounding HB0263 may revolve around balancing public safety with the availability of vaccines that could protect against serious diseases as deemed necessary by public health officials.