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HB0734 • 2026

Statutes of Limitations and Repose

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 28, relative to the dispute resolution process for matters involving real property.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Hicks G, Stevens
Last action
2026-03-26
Official status
Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill summary text indicates an amendment changing the effective date from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026. However, this is inconsistent with the bill text provided which states it takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Changing Rules for Real Property Disputes

This bill changes Tennessee's law to allow people to file certain types of claims related to real property construction issues after a four-year limit has passed.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the time limit for filing counterclaims, third-party complaints, and cross-claims about design or construction problems in real estate.
  • Allows these specific claims to be filed even if more than four years have passed since the project was completed.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People involved in disputes about construction or design issues on real property.
  • Lawyers and courts dealing with these kinds of cases.

Terms To Know

statute of repose
A law that sets a time limit after which certain legal claims cannot be made, even if the damage or injury is discovered later.
counterclaim
When someone who has been sued files their own claim against the person suing them in the same case.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify exactly how long after July 1, 2026, it will take effect.
  • It only affects claims related to design or construction of real property and does not change other types of legal disputes.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0734

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to set a four-year time limit for filing disputes related to construction or design defects after a building project is completed.

  • Sets a new four-year statute of limitations for actions involving deficiencies in the design, planning, supervision, observation of construction, or construction of an improvement to real property.
  • Applies this limitation to claims for damages due to injury to property (real or personal) and personal injuries or wrongful death arising from such deficiencies.
  • The amendment does not specify exceptions or details about how the new statute interacts with existing laws, which may be unclear without further context.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0866

Plain English: The amendment changes the statute of limitations for certain construction-related disputes in Tennessee.

  • Sets a four-year time limit for actions, arbitrations, or other binding dispute resolution proceedings to recover damages related to deficiencies in design, planning, supervision, observation of construction, or construction of real property improvements.
  • Establishes a five-year period within which counterclaims or third-party complaints can be brought in any action, arbitration, or other binding dispute resolution proceeding after substantial completion of an improvement.
  • The amendment text does not specify the exact circumstances under which § 28-1-114(a) actions are exempted from this new statute of limitations.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect existing cases or disputes that may be ongoing at the time of enactment.
Amendment 2-0 to SB0866

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to set a four-year time limit for filing disputes related to construction or design issues after a building project is completed.

  • Sets a new four-year statute of limitations for actions involving deficiencies in the design, planning, supervision, observation of construction, or construction of an improvement to real property.
  • Applies this limitation to claims for damages due to injury to property (real or personal) and injuries to persons or wrongful death arising from such deficiencies.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if the original bill's language is different, which could affect how this amendment applies.
  • It excludes actions brought under § 28-1-114(a) from being subject to this new four-year limitation.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  2. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  3. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  4. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  6. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  7. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 85, Nays 4, PNV 2

  8. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0715)

  9. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  10. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026

  11. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/19/2026

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  14. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  15. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0518)

  16. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0691)

  17. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  18. 2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026

  19. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/18/2026

  21. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/11/2026

  22. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  23. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/16/2026

  25. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/2/2026

  26. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  27. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  28. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/24/2026

  29. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 2/24/2026

  30. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/10/2026

  31. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  32. 2025-02-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  33. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  34. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  35. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  36. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  37. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  38. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires that all actions, arbitrations, or other binding dispute resolution proceedings to recover damages for any deficiency in the design, planning, supervision, observation of construction, or construction of an improvement to real proper
ty, for injury to property, real or personal, arising out of any such deficiency, or for injury to the person or for wrongful death arising out of any such deficiency, must be brought against a person performing or furnishing the design, planning, supervi
si
on, observation of construction, or construction of the improvement within four years after substantial completion of the improvement. This bill creates an exception to this provision for counterclaims, third party complaints, and cross-claims as long as
the original claim was not time barred by an applicable statute of limitations when it was filed.

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 866, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2 changes the effective date of the bill from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 866
By Stevens

HOUSE BILL 734
By Hicks G

HB0734
002734
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 28,
relative to the dispute resolution process for
matters involving real property.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 28-3-202, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead:
With the exception of actions brought pursuant to § 28-1-114(a), all actions,
arbitrations, or other binding dispute resolution proceedings to recover damages for any
deficiency in the design, planning, supervision, observation of construction, or
construction of an improvement to real property, for injury to property, real or personal,
arising out of any such deficiency, or for injury to the person or for wrongful death arising
out of any such deficiency, must be brought against any person performing or furnishing
the design, planning, supervision, observation of construction, or construction of the
improvement within four (4) years after substantial completion of an improvement.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect on July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.