Senate Bill 865, also known as House Bill 705, amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to insurance. One significant change is the adjustment of the deadline for certain insurance-related actions from "no later than June 1" to "no later than July 1." Additionally, the bill introduces a new provision that mandates group policies providing hospital, surgical, or major medical expense insurance to allow employees or members whose insurance has been terminated (for reasons other than the discontinuance of the group policy) to continue their coverage for the remainder of the month of termination plus three additional months, provided they pay the full premium in advance.

The bill also makes extensive amendments to the definitions and provisions surrounding "portable electronics" insurance, expanding it to include "optical products" insurance. This includes changes to various sections that replace "portable electronics" with "portable electronics or optical products," and introduces a new definition for "optical products," which encompasses smart glasses and non-electronic eyewear. The bill stipulates that charges for this insurance can be billed by vendors and must be clearly itemized if not included in the purchase price. The act will take effect upon becoming law, with specific sections set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 56-2-904(a), 56-2-904
Amended with HA0828, HA0829 -- 04/21/2026: 56-2-904(a), 56-2-904, 56-6-104(b)(10), 56-6-104, 56-6-110(8), 56-6-110, 56-6-1101(2), 56-6-1101, 56-6-1101(4), 56-6-1101(6), 56-6-1101(7), 56-6-1101(8), 56-6-1101(10), 56-6-1102, 56-6-1103, 56-6-1104(a), 56-6-1104, 56-6-1104(b)(1), 56-6-1104(b)(3), 56-6-1105, 56-6-1106, 56-6-1107(d), 56-6-1107