---
type: "Bill"
title: "Opioids - As enacted, authorizes TennCare to adopt or amend a state preferred drug list (PDL) without rulemaking; requires TennCare to ensure that reimbursement is provided to a healthcare provider who provides a non-opioid treatment to a recipient under the medical assistance program; requires TennCare to ensure that a hospital that provides services to a recipient is reimbursed under the medical assistance program for medically necessary non-opioid treatment; prohibits a managed care organization or other health insurance issuer from denying coverage of a non-opioid prescription drug in favor of an opioid prescription drug when a healthcare prescriber, instead of a licensed physician, prescribes a non-opioid medication for the treatment of acute or chronic pain. - Amends TCA Title 53; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71."
description: "Opioids - As enacted, authorizes TennCare to adopt or amend a state preferred drug list (PDL) without rulemaking; requires TennCare to ensure that reimbursement is provided to a healthcare provider who provides a non-opioid treatment to a recipient under the medical assistance program; requires TennCare to ensure that a hospital that provides services to a recipient is reimbursed under the medical assistance program for medically necessary non-opioid treatment; prohibits a managed care organization or other health insurance issuer from denying coverage of a non-opioid prescription drug in favor of an opioid prescription drug when a healthcare prescriber, instead of a licensed physician, prescribes a non-opioid medication for the treatment of acute or chronic pain. - Amends TCA Title 53; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "113"
identifier: "HB 2903"
citation: "Tennessee HB 2903 (113)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Opioids"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Kumar"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 32
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2024-01-31"
last_action: "2024-05-01"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/122d385c-1193-45ef-b6a5-45740aaae5ee"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB2903&GA=113"
source_hash: "a78299717245876e4cb3659d9ece98a7acaa7426c7f6e057e4e7c1e66d395f82"
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 2903 (113) — Opioids - As enacted, authorizes TennCare to adopt or amend a state preferred drug list (PDL) without rulemaking; requires TennCare to ensure that reimbursement is provided to a healthcare provider who provides a non-opioid treatment to a recipient under the medical assistance program; requires TennCare to ensure that a hospital that provides services to a recipient is reimbursed under the medical assistance program for medically necessary non-opioid treatment; prohibits a managed care organization or other health insurance issuer from denying coverage of a non-opioid prescription drug in favor of an opioid prescription drug when a healthcare prescriber, instead of a licensed physician, prescribes a non-opioid medication for the treatment of acute or chronic pain. - Amends TCA Title 53; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0664** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/HA0664.pdf)
2. **Amendment HA0665** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/HA0665.pdf)
3. **Amendment SA0818** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0818.pdf)
4. **Amendment SA0819** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0819.pdf)
5. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/HB2903.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE INSURANCE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/12/2024 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- INSURANCE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Insurance Committee 3/5/2024 — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/28/2024 Passed (1) — **84–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/21/2024 3/14/2024 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/1/2024 Passed (1) — **31–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Kumar — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-31** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2024-02-01** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2024-02-05** P2C, ref. to Insurance Committee `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-07** Assigned to s/c Insurance Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-14** Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 2/20/2024
- **2024-02-20** Action Def. in s/c Insurance Subcommittee to 3/5/2024
- **2024-02-28** Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 3/5/2024
- **2024-03-05** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Insurance Committee `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-06** Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/12/2024
- **2024-03-12** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-13** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/14/2024
- **2024-03-14** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/21/2024
- **2024-03-20** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2024-03-21** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/28/2024
- **2024-03-21** Reset on next avail. cal.
- **2024-03-28** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen. `receipt`
- **2024-03-28** Passed H., as am., Ayes 84, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2024-03-28** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2024-03-28** H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA0664) `amendment-passage`
- **2024-03-28** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0665) `amendment-passage`
- **2024-04-01** Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2024-04-01** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - SA0819)
- **2024-04-01** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0818)
- **2024-04-01** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. `substitution`
- **2024-04-01** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2024-04-03** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. `enrolled`
- **2024-04-04** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2024-04-08** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2024-04-10** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2024-04-22** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2024-05-01** Effective date(s) 07/01/2024
- **2024-05-01** Pub. Ch. 762

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/122d385c-1193-45ef-b6a5-45740aaae5ee`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).