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HB2585 • 2026

Damages

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 29-39-102, relative to civil damage awards.

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Chism, Lamar
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on whether the bill affects other types of damages beyond noneconomic ones.

Limit on Damage Awards for Obstetric Negligence

This bill sets a limit of $1 million on noneconomic damages in health care liability cases involving obstetric or maternity negligence that results in death or permanent injury to pregnant or postpartum women.

What This Bill Does

  • Sets a maximum amount of $1 million for noneconomic damages in health care liability cases involving obstetric or maternity negligence.
  • Applies this limit when the negligence results in the death or permanent injury of a pregnant or postpartum woman.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who sue for obstetric or maternity negligence that causes serious harm to pregnant or postpartum women.
  • Health care providers and facilities involved in such cases.

Terms To Know

Noneconomic damages
Compensation for non-monetary losses like pain, suffering, and emotional distress.
Obstetric negligence
Medical mistakes or failures during pregnancy care that harm the patient.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a case involves both economic and noneconomic damages.
  • It is unclear how this limit will affect existing cases or settlements before the law takes effect.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2585

Plain English: The amendment sets a limit of $1 million for noneconomic damages in health care liability cases involving obstetric care for pregnant and postpartum women.

  • Adds a new subsection (o) to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 29-39-102 that limits noneconomic damages recoverable by plaintiffs in health care liability actions related to obstetric care to $1 million.
  • Defines 'obstetric care' as medical or clinical services directly linked to pregnancy management and delivery but excludes unrelated gynecologic procedures and other specialty care unless integral to an obstetric procedure.
  • Specifies that noneconomic damages are limited if the plaintiff was a pregnant or postpartum woman at the time of negligence, and the injury is a permanent physical one.
  • The amendment's text does not specify how it interacts with existing laws beyond the specified noneconomic damage limitation.
  • It may be unclear in some cases whether certain medical procedures fall under 'obstetric care' or are excluded from this definition.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/14/2026

  5. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/15/2026

  7. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Re-refer to S. Cal Comm

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  9. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/6/2026

  10. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026

  11. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2026

  12. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  13. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/2/2026

  14. 2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026

  15. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/1/2026

  16. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2026

  17. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/30/2026

  18. 2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/23/2026

  19. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  20. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  21. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  24. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026

  27. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  29. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  30. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  31. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2621
By Lamar

HOUSE BILL 2585
By Chism
HB2585
012265
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section
29-39-102, relative to civil damage awards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 29-39-102, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(o) Notwithstanding this section to the contrary, the amount of damages
awarded as noneconomic damages shall not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000) in
a health care liability action under title 29, chapter 26, arising from obstetric or maternity
negligence resulting in the death or permanent injury of a pregnant or postpartum
woman.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.