---
type: "Bill"
title: "Audiologists and Speech Pathologists - As enacted, removes requirement that persons seeking licensure as speech language pathologists be members of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. - Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 17."
description: "Audiologists and Speech Pathologists - As enacted, removes requirement that persons seeking licensure as speech language pathologists be members of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. - Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 17."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "114"
identifier: "SB 2065"
citation: "Tennessee SB 2065 (114)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Audiologists and Speech Pathologists"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Watson"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 25
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2026-01-22"
last_action: "2026-05-01"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a997e1c5-9c6b-4064-859b-f588689ec712"
source_url: "https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=SB2065&ga=114"
source_hash: "53d9262757de88ac254b9ef7e7aeeeff827ddabf462285167ea33481731dab14"
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 2065 (114) — Audiologists and Speech Pathologists - As enacted, removes requirement that persons seeking licensure as speech language pathologists be members of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. - Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 17.

## Version chain

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

1. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB2065.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Adopt 3/23/2026 Passed (1) — **29–0** (pass) · upper
- SENATE HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee 3/17/2026 Passed — **9–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Watson — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-22** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2026-02-02** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2026-02-05** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-18** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
- **2026-02-25** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
- **2026-02-25** Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/4/2026
- **2026-03-04** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/11/2026
- **2026-03-04** Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/11/2026
- **2026-03-11** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
- **2026-03-11** Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/18/2026
- **2026-03-17** Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- **2026-03-20** Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/23/2026
- **2026-03-23** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2026-03-23** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2026-03-23** Passed Senate, Ayes 29, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2026-03-26** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2026-04-06** Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 2 `passage`
- **2026-04-06** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2026-04-08** Enrolled and ready for signatures `enrolled`
- **2026-04-09** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2026-04-14** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2026-04-15** Transmitted to Governor for action. `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-23** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-01** Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
- **2026-05-01** Pub. Ch. 796

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a997e1c5-9c6b-4064-859b-f588689ec712`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).