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SB 139

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, requires hospitals that accept medicaid to inquire about a person's citizenship status and submit a quarterly report to the department on the number of hospital admissions and emergency department visits by persons lawfully and not lawfully present in the United States; requires the department to submit an annual report to the governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house of representatives regarding the impact of uncompensated care for persons not lawfully present in the United States and other related information. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 68 and Title 71.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Adam Lowe

Tennessee hospitals must track and report patient citizenship status and uncompensated care costs for undocumented immigrants to influence future state healthcare policy.

Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health & Welfare Committee
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Bill Summary · SB 139

Legislative bill overview

SB 139 requires Tennessee hospitals accepting Medicaid to ask patients about citizenship status and report quarterly statistics on hospital admissions and emergency department visits broken down by immigration status. The state health department must then compile annual reports to state leadership detailing the financial impact of uncompensated care provided to undocumented immigrants.

Why is this important

Healthcare facilities currently absorb significant costs treating uninsured and underinsured patients regardless of immigration status. This bill aims to quantify that financial burden and create visibility around uncompensated care spending—information that could influence future policy decisions about Medicaid funding, hospital reimbursement rates, or immigration enforcement priorities.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy and civil rights concerns: Citizenship status inquiries may discourage undocumented immigrants from seeking emergency care, potentially creating public health risks and violating ethical medical principles that care should not depend on immigration status
  • Hospital operational burden: Implementing citizenship verification systems adds administrative costs and complexity; inconsistent verification methods could produce unreliable data
  • Data collection accuracy: Hospitals may face challenges accurately determining lawful presence status without access to federal immigration databases, risking false categorizations and flawed policy conclusions

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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