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SB1011 • 2026

Abortion

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 15, Part 2, relative to criminal abortion.

Abortion
Active

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

Sponsor
Oliver, Salinas
Last action
2025-03-24
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Abortion Exceptions for Rape and Incest

This bill amends Tennessee's criminal abortion laws to create an exception if the pregnancy is due to rape or incest and was performed by a licensed physician.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds an exception to the law on criminal abortion.
  • Allows abortions when the pregnancy resulted from certain types of sexual assault, including rape and incest.
  • Requires that the person performing the abortion must be a licensed physician.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who perform or attempt to perform abortions in Tennessee
  • Women whose pregnancies are due to rape or incest

Terms To Know

criminal abortion
When someone performs an abortion and it is against the law.
licensed physician
A doctor who has a license to practice medicine legally in Tennessee.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the person performing the abortion is not a licensed physician.
  • It's unclear how this law will be enforced or what penalties might apply.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  2. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  3. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Population Health Subcommittee of Health Committee

  4. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Population Health Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  5. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  6. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Population Health Subcommittee

  7. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  8. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee

  9. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  10. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  11. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1105
By Salinas

SENATE BILL 1011
By Oliver

SB1011
001096
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 15, Part 2, relative to criminal abortion.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-15-213, is amended by adding
the following new subsection:
(g) It is an exception to the application of subsection (b) that the person who
performed or attempted to perform the abortion was a licensed physician and the
patient's pregnancy was the result of aggravated rape, as defined in § 39-13-502; rape,
as defined in § 39-13-503; rape of a child, as defined in § 39-13-522; especially
aggravated rape, as defined in § 39-13-534; especially aggravated rape of a child, as
defined in § 39-13-535; or incest, as defined in § 39-15-302.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.