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HB0811 • 2026

Tort Liability and Reform

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29, Chapter 34, relative to charitable organizations.

Housing
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Grills, Taylor
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 311
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on the enforcement mechanisms or penalties for organizations found liable under this act.

Charitable Organizations Liability for Housing Unlawfully Present Individuals

This bill amends Tennessee's laws to allow charitable organizations that provide housing to individuals unlawfully present in the United States to be held liable if their actions are negligent, grossly negligent, or involve willful and wanton misconduct.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines 'housing' as long-term living accommodations, including assistance with obtaining a lease for an apartment or rental home, but not temporary overnight stays like those at a homeless shelter.
  • Allows charitable organizations that provide housing to individuals unlawfully present in the United States to be held liable if their actions are negligent, grossly negligent, or involve willful and wanton misconduct.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Charitable organizations that provide long-term housing to individuals unlawfully present in the United States
  • Individuals who receive housing from these charitable organizations

Terms To Know

negligence
Failing to take reasonable care to avoid causing harm or loss.
gross negligence
A more serious form of negligence, showing a reckless disregard for the safety and rights of others.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the charitable organization was not negligent.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced or what penalties might apply to organizations found liable.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0811

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules about when charitable organizations can be held responsible for damages caused by people who are in the U.S. without permission and living in housing provided by these charities.

  • Adds a new subsection (c) to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 29-34-213 that allows charitable organizations to be sued if they provide long-term housing to someone unlawfully present in the U.S. and their actions are negligent or worse.
  • Defines 'housing' as long-term living arrangements but not temporary overnight stays like those at homeless shelters.
  • The amendment does not specify what constitutes negligence, gross negligence, or willful and wanton misconduct in the context of providing housing to unlawfully present individuals.
  • It is unclear how this new subsection interacts with existing laws regarding liability for charitable organizations.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0227

Plain English: This amendment adds new rules about when charitable organizations can be held responsible for damages caused by people who are in the U.S. without permission and living at housing provided by these charities.

  • Adds a new subsection (c) to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 29-34-213 that allows charitable organizations providing long-term housing to be held liable if they negligently house someone who is unlawfully present in the U.S. and this person causes harm.
  • Defines 'housing' as long-term living arrangements but excludes temporary overnight stays like those at homeless shelters.
  • The exact circumstances under which a charitable organization would be held liable are not fully detailed, making it unclear how courts will interpret the new rules.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 311

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/02/2025

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 311

  4. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-21 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 70, Nays 23, PNV 0

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0364)

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  20. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  21. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 24, Nays 4, PNV 1

  22. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0208)

  23. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025

  24. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/3/2025

  26. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  27. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 5, Nays 1 PNV 1

  28. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2025

  29. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2025

  30. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  31. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  32. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  33. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  34. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  35. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  36. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  37. 2025-01-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 3, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 227, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 defines "housing," for purposes of the bill, as
long-term living accommodations
. The term also includes
assistance with obtaining or signing a lease for an apartment or rental home, but does not include temporary overnight housing such as that provided by a homeless shelter.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 227
By Taylor

HOUSE BILL 811
By Grills

HB0811
000574
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29,
Chapter 34, relative to charitable organizations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 29-34-213, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(c) Notwithstanding subsection (b), a charitable organization that provides
housing to a person who the charitable organization knows is unlawfully present in the
United States may be held liable for a loss, damages, injury, or death resulting from a
criminal offense committed by the person who is unlawfully present in the United States
while the person is receiving housing services from the charitable organization if the
charitable organization's conduct in providing housing constitutes negligence, gross
negligence, or willful and wanton misconduct.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.