Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HB0688 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	SENATE BILL 584
3	3	By Akbari
4	4
5	5	HOUSE BILL 688
6	6	By Camper
7	7
8	8
9	9	HB0688
10	10	001089
11	11	- 1 -
12	12
13	13	AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
14	14	Title 53; Title 58; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71,
15	15	relative to medicine.
16	16
17	17	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
18	18	SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 1, is amended by adding
19	19	the following as a new part:
20	20	68-1-1701.
21	21	The general assembly finds that access to a statewide strategic buffer stock,
22	22	essential medicine reserve, or strategic inventory of essential medicines in the event of
23	23	an emergency or natural disaster is vital to this state's healthcare system, educational
24	24	settings, and the general population who rely on the state's healthcare resources,
25	25	especially those who reside in rural or medically underserved areas.
26	26	68-1-1702.
27	27	As used in this part:
28	28	(1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of health, or the
29	29	commissioner's designee;
30	30	(2) "Department" means the department of health;
31	31	(3) "Designated recipients" includes healthcare providers, healthcare
32	32	facilities, state disaster relief organizations, state-operated facilities, and other
33	33	entities to which strategic reserve medical resources may be disbursed under
34	34	this part;
35	35	(4) "Essential buffer stock" means the essential emergency and chronic
36	36	disease management medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies buffer stock,
37	37
38	38
39	39	- 2 - 001089
40	40
41	41	essential medicine reserve, and strategic inventory stockpile of essential
42	42	medicines created by this part;
43	43	(5) "Natural disaster" means a hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high
44	44	water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption,
45	45	landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, ice storm, drought, fire, explosion, civil
46	46	disturbance, or other catastrophe that causes or may cause substantial damage
47	47	or injury to property, and includes an area that has been declared by the
48	48	governor to be a disaster area;
49	49	(6) "Outbreak" means the widespread occurrence of an illness, disease,
50	50	or other specific health condition; and
51	51	(7) "Virtually sequestered buffer stock" means an inventory stockpile of
52	52	medications managed by a distribution vendor to avoid expiration and ensure
53	53	availability during an emergency or natural disaster.
54	54	68-1-1703.
55	55	(a) The commissioner, in consultation with the director of TEMA and the
56	56	directors of such other state, local, and regional emergency management and public
57	57	health resources as the commissioner deems necessary, shall establish a statewide
58	58	strategic essential buffer stock for emergency preparedness and drug shortage
59	59	prevention to be maintained by the department for use in the event of a public health
60	60	emergency, including natural disasters, man-made disasters, and mass casualty events
61	61	at the local and state levels.
62	62	(b) The commissioner, in consultation with the director of TEMA, shall establish
63	63	guidelines for the procurement, management, and distribution of medicines, vaccines,
64	64	and medical supply items in an essential buffer stock, which may include a virtually
65	65	sequestered buffer stock.
66	66
67	67
68	68	- 3 - 001089
69	69
70	70	(c) The department may contract with private entities for the procurement of
71	71	strategic emergency readiness supplies for, and management and distribution of, the
72	72	essential buffer stock, including a virtually sequestered buffer stock. The department
73	73	may contract for the reservation of supplies stored by a private, vendor-managed entity
74	74	for the essential buffer stock, and the distribution of such supplies to locations specified
75	75	by the department consistent with this section and rules promulgated by the department.
76	76	68-1-1704.
77	77	(a) The commissioner, in consultation with the director of TEMA and the
78	78	directors of such other state, local, and regional emergency management and public
79	79	health resources as the commissioner deems necessary, shall conduct demand
80	80	planning and essential buffer stock modeling for emergency readiness supplies to be
81	81	included at the discretion of the commissioner. Such planning and essential buffer stock
82	82	modeling must include:
83	83	(1) Recommendations on the types of emergency supplies to be
84	84	included, in particular those determined to be necessary for rural and medically
85	85	underserved areas;
86	86	(2) Anticipated demand for emergency supplies for various public health
87	87	emergencies and natural disaster scenarios;
88	88	(3) Recommended quantities to be held in the essential buffer stock for
89	89	each supply type;
90	90	(4) Guidelines for the supplies to be distributed to municipalities and
91	91	healthcare settings in the event of a local or regional public health emergency;
92	92	and
93	93
94	94
95	95	- 4 - 001089
96	96
97	97	(5) Possible logistical and operational strategies that could be used to
98	98	reduce the costs of the supplies, including the use of a virtually sequestered
99	99	buffer stock procured and managed by an external vendor.
100	100	(b) Guidelines described in subdivision (a)(4) must include:
101	101	(1) The various types of items that may be required during an outbreak or
102	102	other public health emergency, including natural disasters, man-made disasters,
103	103	and mass casualty events;
104	104	(2) The amount of each type of item required for a sustained outbreak,
105	105	public health emergency, natural disaster, man-made disaster, or mass casualty
106	106	event;
107	107	(3) An action plan establishing policies and standards for an essential
108	108	buffer stock surge capacity, including a virtually sequestered buffer stock, to
109	109	ensure that hospitals, emergency providers, and other designated recipients
110	110	have access to an adequate supply of necessary items during an outbreak or
111	111	other public health emergency;
112	112	(4) Acknowledgement of any federal and state rules, policies, and
113	113	funding that would be required to establish an essential buffer stock;
114	114	(5) How distribution from procurement must be prioritized if there are
115	115	insufficient resources to meet the identified needs of healthcare providers,
116	116	healthcare facilities, and other designated recipients, including consideration of
117	117	whether the healthcare provider, facility, or other recipient:
118	118	(A) Is in a location with a high number of rural or underserved
119	119	residents;
120	120
121	121
122	122	- 5 - 001089
123	123
124	124	(B) Is in a medically underserved area, as designated by the
125	125	United States department of health and human services, health resources
126	126	and services administration;
127	127	(C) Disproportionately serves a medically underserved or rural
128	128	population, as designated by the United States department of health and
129	129	human services, health resources and services administration; and
130	130	(D) Is in a county with a high infection rate or high hospitalization
131	131	rate related to the declared emergency.
132	132	(c) The commissioner, in consultation with the director of TEMA and the
133	133	directors of such other state, local, and regional emergency management and public
134	134	health resources as the commissioner deems necessary, shall define a list of entities to
135	135	which essential buffer stock resources may be disbursed under the planning, modeling,
136	136	and guidelines created pursuant to this section.
137	137	(d) When maintaining and securing supplies pursuant to this part, the
138	138	department shall seek to maximize available federal and state funding.
139	139	68-1-1705.
140	140	On or before January 15, 2026, and on or before January 15 of each year
141	141	thereafter, the commissioner, in consultation with the director of TEMA and the
142	142	commissioner of education, shall submit to the clerk of the senate, the clerk of the house
143	143	of representatives, and the legislative librarian an annual report on the stockpile for the
144	144	previous calendar year just ended. The report must include:
145	145	(1) An inventory of items in the stockpile;
146	146	(2) The number of items from the stockpile that were used during the
147	147	previous calendar year;
148	148	(3) The level of anticipated future usage;
149	149
150	150
151	151	- 6 - 001089
152	152
153	153	(4) The status of existing contracts with private entities that fulfill
154	154	procurement contracts for the stockpile;
155	155	(5) The types and number of items reserved through private entities; and
156	156	(6) A description of plans to access and distribute items reserved by
157	157	private entities for an emergency.
158	158	SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.