HOUSE BILL 190 By Faison AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 5 and Title 63, Chapter 8, relative to the corporate practice of health care. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 63-5-121, is amended by adding the following as a new subsection: (1) This section does not prohibit a rural health clinic from employing a dentist if the employment relationship between the dentist and the rural health clinic is evidenced by a written contract, job description, or documentation containing language that does not restrict the dentist from exercising independent medical judgment in diagnosing and treating patients. (2) As used in this subsection ( ), "rural health clinic" has the same meaning as defined under §§ 1861(aa) and 1905 of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 1395x and 1396d, respectively). SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 63-8-114, is amended by adding the following as a new subdivision: (A) To prohibit a rural health clinic from employing an optometrist if the employment relationship between the optometrist and the rural health clinic is evidenced by a written contract, job description, or documentation containing language that does not restrict the optometrist from exercising independent medical judgment in diagnosing and treating patients; HB0190 001602 -1- (B) As used in this subdivision ( ), "rural health clinic" has the same meaning as defined under §§ 1861(aa) and 1905 of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 1395x and 1396d, respectively). SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. -2- 001602 Statutes affected: Current Version: 63-5-121, 63-8-114