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SB 343

Public Health - As introduced, increases, from 30 to 45, the number of days a licensing board has to respond to the department of health after the department has inquired about the status of an action or lack of action taken against a prescriber whose prescribing patterns of controlled substances have been identified as representing a statistical outlier, or if the prescriber is identified as a top prescriber or a high-risk prescriber. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Paul Bailey and 1 co-sponsor

Tennessee SB 343 extends licensing board response deadlines for controlled substance prescriber inquiries from 30 to 45 days, potentially slowing regulatory discipline of high-risk prescribers.

Transmitted to Governor for action.
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Bill Summary · SB 343

Legislative bill overview

SB 343 extends the response deadline for Tennessee licensing boards from 30 to 45 days when the Department of Health inquires about disciplinary actions against prescribers identified as statistical outliers or high-volume/high-risk controlled substance prescribers. The bill modifies multiple sections of Tennessee Code Annotated across seven titles to implement this extended timeframe.

Why is this important

Controlled substance prescribing oversight is a critical public health tool for combating opioid misuse and prescription drug abuse. The deadline change directly affects how quickly regulators can investigate and potentially discipline prescribers contributing to substance abuse problems, potentially impacting patient safety and community health outcomes.

Potential points of contention

  • Enforcement speed vs. administrative burden: Extending response time by 50% may slow regulatory action against problematic prescribers, though boards may argue they need more time for thorough investigations
  • Public health trade-off: Longer investigation timelines could leave high-risk prescribers in practice longer before disciplinary action, contrasting with harm-reduction priorities
  • Standardization concerns: Amending seven different Tennessee Code titles suggests potential inconsistency in implementation across different licensing boards and regulatory bodies

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

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