Advocating for Tennessee Hearts: Our 2026-2027 Policy Priorities

These outcomes don’t happen by chance. They are shaped by the policies and investments made in our schools, communities, and government.

Our 2026-2027 Tennessee State and Community Policy Agenda focuses on evidence-based solutions that improve health, prevent disease, and save lives. Here’s what we’re working on this year.

Healthy School Meals at No Cost

We’re advocating to eliminate Tennessee’s reduced-price meal category and provide free meals to qualifying students. This would help reduce food insecurity, lessen administrative burdens on schools, and decrease unpaid meal debt while ensuring more students have access to healthy food during the school day.

Protecting Summer Food Access

Students need access to healthy food year-round. We’re working to protect and sustain funding for Summer EBT programs that help families afford groceries when school is out of session.

Strengthening Tobacco Retail Oversight

We’re advocating for tobacco retail licensure requirements for businesses that sell tobacco and nicotine products. This policy would strengthen enforcement of youth sales laws and help support efforts to prevent youth nicotine addiction.

Supporting Tobacco Prevention and Cessation

We’re working to increase funding for Tennessee’s tobacco prevention programs, expand access to cessation counseling through TennCare, and protect funding dedicated to tobacco prevention efforts. These investments can help more Tennesseans quit tobacco and prevent future addiction.

Improving Maternal Health Through Self-Measured Blood Pressure Coverage

We support policies that allow providers to bill for managing self-measured blood pressure programs for pregnant women covered by TennCare. This approach can help identify and address hypertension early, improving health outcomes for mothers and babies.

Supporting Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in Schools

Schools across Tennessee are implementing cardiac emergency response plans, but many need additional resources. We’re advocating for funding to help schools obtain and maintain AEDs and ensure they are prepared to respond quickly during a cardiac emergency.

Improving Cardiac Arrest Outcomes

We’re supporting ongoing funding for the CARES Registry, a statewide system that helps EMS agencies and communities track and improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates. Better data can help save more lives.

Supporting Working Families

We’re advocating for policies that make it easier for employers to provide paid family leave benefits and support workers during major life events. Strong family leave policies help people care for themselves and their loved ones when it matters most.

Driving Local Change

Communities across Tennessee are leading the way on heart health. This year, we’re supporting:

• Smoke-free air ordinances in Chattanooga, Murfreesboro, Germantown, Collierville, Arlington, Bartlett, Millington, and Clinton to protect workers and patrons from secondhand smoke exposure.
• Complete Streets policies in Chattanooga and Knoxville to help create safer transportation networks for people walking, biking, rolling, and driving.

Through Heart Powered, our grassroots advocacy network, Tennesseans can take action on the issues that matter most to heart and brain health. Whether you’re new to advocacy or a longtime champion, there’s a place for you to get involved. Together, we can advance policies that help every Tennessean live a longer, healthier life.