Bill > HB2577

This bill establishes new requirements for the handling and reporting of fetal remains resulting from surgical abortions in Tennessee. It mandates that physicians performing surgical abortions must keep records of how fetal remains are disposed of and report this information to the commissioner of health, including details if the remains are transferred to a third party. The bill also prohibits the buying or selling of aborted fetuses or fetal remains, or any reimbursement for costs associated with their handling. Furthermore, it empowers the board for licensing healthcare facilities to create rules for tracking and disposing of fetal remains from surgical abortions. Facilities that perform more than fifty surgical abortions annually will be subject to mandatory interim assessments of their quality measures and must report "sentinel events," which are serious adverse events, and develop plans to correct any deficiencies found. Finally, the bill requires that a copy of the mother's authorization for the disposition of fetal remains, specifying the method of disposition, be attached to the informed consent form signed before the abortion procedure.