Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 33; Title 63 and Title 71.

This bill creates a healthcare task force to review the reimbursement of health professionals employed by agencies performing healthcare services in this state. The duties of the task force include a study of how reimbursement rates and wages impact the availability of a healthcare work force, and other such duties imposed under this part. The task force will be administratively attached to the department of health and composed of 13 members as follows: (1) The commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services, or the commissioner's designee; (2) The commissioner of intellectual and developmental disabilities, or the commissioner's designee; (3) The deputy commissioner of the bureau of TennCare within the department of finance and administration, or the deputy commissioner's designee; (4) The commissioner of children services, or the commissioner's designee; (5) The commissioner of labor and workforce development, or the commissioner's designee; (6) One member of the senate to be appointed by the speaker of the senate; (7) One member of the house of representatives to be appointed by the speaker of the house; and (8) Six public members from organizations representing the provider community that provide healthcare services, three of whom will be appointed by the speaker of the senate and three of whom will be appointed by the speaker of the house. This bill requires the task force to recommend a strategic action plan to guide the administration and general assembly on how to: (1) Address the challenges of quality, affordability, and accessibility of healthcare professionals in this state; (2) More effectively use public resources to address those challenges; (3) Study the rates paid to healthcare workers employed in state government compared to healthcare workers in the private sector who perform the same function; (4) Address the challenges facing health professionals, generally; and (5) Address current workforce shortage challenges and future projections for such shortages. Members of the task force will serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for travel expenses. This bill requires the commissioner of labor and workforce development to serve as chair and call the first meeting of the task force no later than October 1, 2022, at which time the members must elect a first vice chair and second vice chair from among the public members. The task force will meet at least monthly. This bill authorizes the task force to hire consultants to assist in the performance of the task force responsibilities. This bill sets out in detail the duties of the task force, which include the duty to: (1) Develop a strategic action plan for increasing the availability of high-quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare professionals in this state; (2) Develop a strategic action plan to eliminate the need for agencies to consistently request budget increases and allow state agencies to pay their private partner providers adequately for work that is being performed under contract with the state; and (3) Identify processes to ensure that routine reviews of funding for healthcare services under the TennCare program are conducted and to ensure that adequate annual resources are being directed to the provider community. This bill requires the task force to submit an interim progress report of its findings and recommendations to the speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house, the chair of the health and welfare committee of the senate, and the chair of the health committee of the house of representatives no later than July 1, 2023, and a final report of its findings and recommendations to such persons no later than December 31, 2024, at which time the task force ceases to exist. This bill requires that the final report include: (1) Findings and conclusions regarding the duties outlined in this bill; (2) The full strategic action plan, with an executive summary; and (3) Recommendations for legislation deemed necessary to implement the strategic plan. This bill will be repealed on December 31, 2024, unless the task force is reenacted or extended by the general assembly prior to such date. ON APRIL 4, 2022, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2304, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #2 revises various provisions of this bill, as follows: (1) Removes the provision for the task force being administratively attached to the department of health; (2) Increases the membership of the task force from 13 to 15 members by adding the commissioner of health and the executive director of the Tennessee commission on aging and disability, or such officials' designee; (3) Removes eligibility for per diem or reimbursement of travel expenses for task force members in carrying out their duties under this bill; (4) Reduces the required meetings from monthly to once every two months; (5) Authorizes the chair to utilize subcommittees composed of task force members; and (6) Changes the final report and task force termination date from December 31, 2024, to December 31 2023.