KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

SB0280 • 2026

Tort Liability and Reform

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

Active

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

Sponsor
Jackson, Russell
Last action
2025-05-02
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/11/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not specify the exact nature of the 'obstructing justice' conviction beyond it being under § 39-16-602, which may require further research for clarity.

Law to Protect Police Officers from Lawsuits

This bill makes police officers immune from lawsuits if they cause harm while doing their job and the person who got hurt was convicted of obstructing justice against them.

What This Bill Does

  • Makes police officers not responsible for paying money or being sued if they damage property or hurt someone during work, as long as that person was found guilty of obstructing justice by using force to prevent a stop, frisk, arrest, or search.
  • Doesn't protect officers if their actions were very careless or done on purpose to harm others.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Law enforcement officers
  • People who might sue police officers for damages caused during official duties
  • Individuals convicted of obstructing justice

Terms To Know

Civil liability
Being responsible to pay money or face legal consequences if someone is hurt or their property is damaged.
Grossly negligent
Doing something very carelessly that causes harm.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only applies when the person who got hurt was convicted of obstructing justice.
  • It does not cover all situations where a police officer might cause damage or injury.
  • The law takes effect on April 11, 2025.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/11/2025

  2. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 160

  3. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became 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

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  13. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 27, Nays 5

  14. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  15. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  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

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 3/27/2025

  20. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  21. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  22. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/27/2025

  24. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  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

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  35. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to 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 
HOUSE BILL 1020
By Russell

SENATE BILL 280
By Jackson

SB0280
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.