Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak Releases Statement on Navigator Rule

NASHVILLE – Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak released the following statement on the navigator rule lawsuit filed by Tennessee Justice Center: 

 

“Our focus is on protecting Tennesseans and taking reasonable and responsible steps to provide consumer safeguards.

 

The emergency rules filed on September 20, 2013, require those individuals who will be accessing Tennesseans most sensitive personal financial and medical information to have been subject to a criminal background check as mandated by Tennessee Public Chapter 377. These rules are those reasonable and responsible steps. 

 

The appropriateness of states requiring criminal background checks was echoed by a top official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Gary Cohen in testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on September 19th. “The federal government has not required that background checks for individuals be given, but some states have adopted that requirement as they are permitted to do,” said Cohen. “States … are able to impose that requirement if they feel that’s something that is important in their communities.”

 

Public Chapter 377 was passed by a nearly unanimous bi-partisan vote of 28-1 in the Senate and 87-0 in the House of Representatives and it is our responsibility to faithfully implement the law.”