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HB1020 • 2026

Tort Liability and Reform

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29 and Title 39, relative to claims against law enforcement officers.

Crime
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Russell, Jackson
Last action
2025-05-02
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 160
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about how disputes over whether someone was obstructing justice will be resolved.

Law Enforcement Officer Immunity from Civil Liability

This act provides immunity for Tennessee law enforcement officers who cause property damage or personal injury during official duties if the person harmed was convicted of obstructing justice at the time of the incident, with certain exceptions.

What This Bill Does

  • Gives police officers protection from being sued in court if they hurt someone or break something while doing their job, provided that the injured party was found guilty of obstructing justice by using force against an officer during official duties.
  • This protection does not apply if the officer's actions were grossly negligent or constituted willful misconduct.
  • The law also ensures that bystanders and other people who are not involved in any crime do not lose their right to sue the police.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Law enforcement officers in Tennessee
  • People who might be injured by police during official duties if they were convicted of obstructing justice at the time of the incident.
  • Bystanders or others not involved in criminal activity

Terms To Know

Civil liability
The responsibility to pay money for damages caused to someone else.
Immunity
Protection from being sued or held responsible for something that would normally be a legal issue.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the person who got hurt was not convicted of obstructing justice but was still involved in criminal activity.
  • The law does not change how police officers are treated under criminal laws, only civil lawsuits.
  • It is unclear how this will affect cases where there is a dispute about whether someone was actually obstructing justice.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 160

  2. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/11/2025

  3. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 160

  4. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 76, Nays 14, PNV 5

  13. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  15. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 27, Nays 5

  16. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/27/2025

  18. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 3/27/2025

  19. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  21. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/24/2025

  23. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/27/2025

  25. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/20/2025

  26. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/20/2025

  27. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  28. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  29. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  30. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 2/26/2025

  31. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  33. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  34. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  35. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  36. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  37. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  38. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-01-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This b
ill provides that a
law enforcement officer who causes property damage to
,
or inflicts personal injury upon
,
a person during the course of the officer's official duties is immune from civil liability for
,
or the payment of monetary damages resulting from
,

the officer's actions if
,
at the time the damage or injury occurred, the person suffering the injury or damage was engaged in conduct that resulted in the person being convicted of
obstruction of justice for intentionally preventing or obstructing the offi
cer from effecting
a stop, frisk, halt, arrest or search of a person

by using force against the officer or another
. However, this immunity (i) does not apply
if the officer's actions were grossly negligent or
constituted
willful misconduct
and (ii) does n
ot e
xtend to property damage caused
,
or injury inflicted upon
,
a bystander or other person who was not engaged in conduct that resulted in
such
a conviction at the time the damage or injury occurred.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 280
By Jackson

HOUSE BILL 1020
By Russell

HB1020
001513
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29
and Title 39, relative to claims against law
enforcement officers.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29, Chapter 34, Part 2, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) A law enforcement officer who causes property damage to or inflicts personal
injury upon a person during the course of the law enforcement officer's official duties is
immune from civil liability for or the payment of monetary damages resulting from the law
enforcement officer's actions if at the time the damage or injury occurred, the person
suffering the injury or damage was engaged in conduct that resulted in the person being
convicted of an offense under § 39-16-602.
(b) This section does not:
(1) Apply if the law enforcement officer's actions were grossly negligent
or willful misconduct; or
(2) Extend to property damage caused or injury inflicted upon a
bystander or other person who was not engaged in conduct that resulted in a
conviction under § 39-16-602 at the time the damage or injury occurred.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.