Health, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department on or before January 1, 2026, to submit a report with a list of each drug that is psychotropic medication pursuant to current law and the side effects of each medication to the chair of the health and welfare committee of the senate and the chair of the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over health-related matters. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 41; Title 49; Title 53; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Paul Bailey

Tennessee must inventory all psychotropic drugs and side effects by January 2026 for legislative health committees, with amendments affecting state health and welfare codes.

Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

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Legislative bill overview

SB 1064 requires Tennessee's Department of Health to compile and submit a comprehensive report by January 1, 2026, listing all psychotropic medications currently approved or used in the state and documenting their known side effects. The report must be delivered to relevant Senate and House health committee chairs. The bill also amends multiple sections of Tennessee Code Annotated across health, welfare, and related regulatory areas.

Why is this important

Psychotropic medications (drugs affecting mental health, mood, and behavior) are widely prescribed but can carry significant side effects ranging from mild to severe. A centralized, transparent inventory with documented side effect profiles could inform healthcare providers, patients, and policymakers about medication safety, support informed consent discussions, and potentially guide future regulatory or clinical practice decisions. This reflects growing public interest in medication transparency and patient safety documentation.

Potential points of contention

Scope and detail ambiguity: The bill doesn't specify how comprehensive the side effects list must be (minor vs. major effects, frequency data, severity ratings), which could result in vastly different report quality depending on interpretation

Implementation burden and cost: Compiling detailed side effect profiles for potentially hundreds of medications requires significant staff resources and may delay other Department of Health priorities

Underlying intent: The broad amendments across eight Tennessee Code titles suggest potential regulatory changes beyond simple reporting; stakeholders may worry this is a preliminary step toward restricting psychotropic medication access or prescribing practices