---
type: "Bill"
title: "Health Care - As enacted, enacts the \"Medical Ethics Defense Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 63."
description: "Health Care - As enacted, enacts the \"Medical Ethics Defense Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 63."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "114"
identifier: "SB 955"
citation: "Tennessee SB 955 (114)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Health Care"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Haile"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 25
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2025-02-05"
last_action: "2025-04-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/1bafd51c-d833-4bd5-a109-b43023bcf3e7"
source_url: "https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=SB0955&ga=114"
source_hash: "076c06f02b88779eadf2e5d25769bd8419893cb1f0105dadfdf02e875d0713d3"
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 SB 955 (114) — Health Care - As enacted, enacts the "Medical Ethics Defense Act." - Amends TCA Title 63.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0177** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0177.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0020** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0020.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0955.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/7/2025 Passed — **71–22** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/6/2025 Passed (1) — **27–3** (pass) · upper
- SENATE HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0 2/26/2025 Passed — **7–1** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 1 4/14/2025 Passed — **25–6** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/7/2025 Passed (1) — **71–24** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Haile — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-02-05** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2025-02-10** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2025-02-12** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-19** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/26/2025
- **2025-02-26** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0
- **2025-02-26** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2025-03-04** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/6/2025
- **2025-03-06** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2025-03-06** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2025-03-06** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 3 `passage`
- **2025-03-06** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0020)
- **2025-03-10** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2025-04-07** Passed H., as am., Ayes 71, Nays 24, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2025-04-07** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0177) `amendment-passage`
- **2025-04-07** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2025-04-11** Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/14/2025
- **2025-04-14** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2025-04-14** Concurred, Ayes 25, Nays 6 (Amendment 1 - HA0177) `passage`
- **2025-04-16** Enrolled and ready for signatures `enrolled`
- **2025-04-17** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2025-04-21** Transmitted to Governor for action. `executive-receipt`
- **2025-04-21** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2025-04-24** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2025-04-29** Effective date(s) 04/24/2025
- **2025-04-29** Pub. Ch. 266

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/1bafd51c-d833-4bd5-a109-b43023bcf3e7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).