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SB 1947

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As introduced, requires a blood bank to comply with a physician's order for an autologous blood donation or directed blood donation for a specific patient; requires a hospital to allow a patient who is scheduled for a medical procedure to provide an autologous blood donation or directed blood donation upon order of a physician. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 32.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Janice Bowling

Tennessee requires blood banks and hospitals to accommodate physician-ordered autologous or directed donations, with safety and compatibility rules still applying.

Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
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Bill Summary · SB 1947

Summary of SB 1947 (Session 114) — Tennessee

Purpose and Intent

  • Establishes that blood banks and hospitals in Tennessee must accommodate autologous blood donations and directed blood donations when ordered by a physician.
  • Aims to ensure patients can donate their own blood for future use or for a specific planned procedure, while maintaining existing safety, testing, labeling, screening, storage, and compatibility requirements.

Key Provisions

Definitions (new section)

  • Autologous blood donation: donation of a person’s own blood for future use.
  • Blood bank: facility involved in collection, processing, storage, distribution of blood/components, or related transfusion activities.
  • Blood donation: donation of whole blood or blood products (including platelets, RBCs, white blood cells, serum).
  • Directed blood donation: donation designated for use by a specific patient for a planned procedure.
  • Physician: licensed medical doctors (MD) or doctors of osteopathy (DO).

Requirements for Blood Banks

  • A blood bank must comply with a physician’s order for autologous or directed blood donation for a specific patient.
  • Donations must still meet all applicable federal and state donor eligibility, testing, labeling, storage, and compatibility requirements.
  • Blood banks may charge a reasonable and necessary administrative fee to cover the facilitation of such donations.
  • The act does not waive any safety, testing, screening, or compatibility requirements mandated by law.

Requirements for Hospitals

  • Hospitals must allow a patient scheduled for a medical procedure to provide an autologous or directed blood donation when ordered by a physician.
  • Hospitals may refuse if the donation is medically contraindicated or incompatible with safety standards.
  • Hospitals may charge a reasonable and necessary administrative fee to facilitate the donation.
  • The section does not waive federal or state blood-safety, testing, or compatibility requirements.

Effective Date

  • Takes effect July 1, 2026.

Fiscal Impact

  • Estimated to be not significant.
  • Fees collected for donations would go to private entities facilitating the process, not to the state.
  • No anticipated significant impact on the Department of Health or health-related boards.

Who Is Affected

  • Blood banks within Tennessee health systems.
  • Hospitals operating in Tennessee.
  • Patients who wish to donate autologously for future use or as a directed donation for a specific procedure (subject to medical safety and physician orders).
  • Physicians who order autologous or directed donations for patients.

Administrative and Procedural Notes

  • The bill requires adherence to existing donor screening and safety protocols.
  • Allows reasonable administrative fees to cover facilitation costs.
  • Contains explicit safety and compatibility guardrails to prevent bypassing established standards.

Legislative Status and Timeline

  • Introduced and advanced through the Senate in 2026; Sponsor: Janice Bowling (co-sponsor).
  • Passed the Senate with a vote of 25–6.
  • House actions noted as proceeding; final passage and enactment contingent on legislative process.
  • Public welfare requiring it; effective date is July 1, 2026.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law or a plain-language FAQ for patients and providers.

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

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