---
type: "Bill"
title: "Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, authorizes nonphysician healthcare providers who are otherwise permitted to prescribe Schedule II or III drugs to also prescribe a buprenorphine product for the treatment of opioid use disorder if certain requirements met. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68."
description: "Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, authorizes nonphysician healthcare providers who are otherwise permitted to prescribe Schedule II or III drugs to also prescribe a buprenorphine product for the treatment of opioid use disorder if certain requirements met. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "111"
identifier: "HB 656"
citation: "Tennessee HB 656 (111)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Drugs", "Prescription"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Dickerson", "Hill M"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 44
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2019-02-04"
last_action: "2020-07-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c4f70c60-10ad-496c-96bb-8ec6a7fdc070"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0656&GA=111"
source_hash: "63075074d9fe0a95ce5c4bc17e251e28e1714e05244c01a437d3d474da73ed3a"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tn"]
---

# Tennessee HB 656 (111) — Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, authorizes nonphysician healthcare providers who are otherwise permitted to prescribe Schedule II or III drugs to also prescribe a buprenorphine product for the treatment of opioid use disorder if certain requirements met. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment HA0181** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA0181.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0640** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0640.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Bill/HB0656.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 6/11/2020 Passed (1) — **26–4** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/17/2019 4/11/2019 (3) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE MENTAL HEALTH & SUBSTANCE ABUSE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Health Committee 3/13/2019 (5) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- SENATE HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0 3/11/2020 Passed (2) — **8–1** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/17/2019 Passed (2) — **91–4** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE HEALTH COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/26/2019 (4) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: MESSAGE CALENDAR CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT # 1 6/17/2020 Passed (1) — **87–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Dickerson — primary (person)
- Hill M — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-02-04** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-02-06** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2019-02-06** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-02-07** P2C, ref. to Health Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-07** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2019-02-11** Assigned to s/c Mental Health & Substance Abuse Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-11** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee
- **2019-03-06** Placed on s/c cal Mental Health & Substance Abuse Subcommittee for 3/13/2019
- **2019-03-13** Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/19/2019
- **2019-03-13** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Health Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-19** Action def. in Health Committee to 3/26/2019
- **2019-03-20** Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/26/2019
- **2019-03-26** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-03-27** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 4/3/2019
- **2019-04-03** Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 4/10/2019
- **2019-04-04** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 4/10/2019
- **2019-04-10** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/11/2019
- **2019-04-10** Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-11** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/17/2019
- **2019-04-17** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
- **2019-04-17** Passed H., as am., Ayes 91, Nays 4, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2019-04-17** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0181) `amendment-passage`
- **2019-04-18** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2020-03-05** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/9/2020
- **2020-03-09** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/11/2020
- **2020-03-09** Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/11/2020
- **2020-03-11** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0
- **2020-03-13** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2020
- **2020-03-16** Re-refer to Senate Cal. Comm.
- **2020-06-10** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 6/11/2020
- **2020-06-11** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 4 `passage`
- **2020-06-11** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0640)
- **2020-06-11** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
- **2020-06-11** Companion House Bill substituted
- **2020-06-17** H. concurred in S. am. no. 1 Ayes 87, Nays 0 PNV 1 HB0656
- **2020-06-17** H. Placed on Message Calendar for 6/17/20
- **2020-06-19** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
- **2020-06-30** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2020-06-30** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2020-06-30** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2020-06-30** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2020-07-02** Pub. Ch. 761
- **2020-07-02** Effective date(s) 07/01/2020
- **2020-07-02** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 761

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c4f70c60-10ad-496c-96bb-8ec6a7fdc070`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).