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HB0534 • 2026

Tort Liability and Reform

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29, Chapter 20, relative to governmental tort liability.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Rudder, Bailey
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 299
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact amount of insurance coverage required is not specified in the bill.

Tort Liability and Reform

This act changes Tennessee's laws to prevent school boards from extending legal protections (immunity) given by law to independent bus contractors who transport students for schools.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits governmental entities or local boards of education from extending immunity granted by the law to independent school bus contractors providing transportation services for schools.
  • Requires contracts between a local board of education and an independent school bus contractor to include sufficient liability insurance coverage as required by applicable laws.
  • Allows evidence of this insurance coverage to be shown through a certificate that lists the local board of education as an additional insured party.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local boards of education
  • Independent school bus contractors

Terms To Know

Immunity
Protection from being sued or held legally responsible for certain actions.
Tort Liability
Legal responsibility for causing harm to someone else through negligence, intentional acts, or strict liability.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact amount of insurance coverage required.
  • It is unclear how this act will be enforced and what consequences there are for non-compliance.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 299

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 299

  4. 2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/16/2025

  14. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  15. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/2/2025

  17. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Judiciary Committee

  20. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/18/2025

  21. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/18/2025

  22. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  23. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025

  24. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Committee

  25. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  26. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  27. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/3/2025

  28. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/4/2025

  29. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  31. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 2/26/2025

  32. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Transportation & Safety Committee

  33. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recalled from Senate Judiciary Committee

  34. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  35. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  36. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  37. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee - Judiciary Committee

  38. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  39. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  40. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 408
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 534
By Rudder

HB0534
001796
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29,
Chapter 20, relative to governmental tort liability.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 29-20-107(h), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(h)
(1) A governmental entity or local board of education shall not extend the
immunity granted by this chapter to independent school bus contractors in
performing or providing school-related transportation services to a local board of
education.
(2) The contract or agreement between a local board of education and an
independent school bus contractor must require sufficient limits for tort liability
exposures as required by applicable law related to performing or providing
school-related transportation services to the local board of education by the
contractor. Evidence of such coverage may include, without limitation, a
certificate of insurance from the provider of insurance coverage that has the local
board of education listed as an additional insured.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.