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SB1137 • 2026

Secretary of State

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47, Chapter 16, relative to relative to litigation financiers.

Active

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

Sponsor
Stevens, Lamberth
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/24/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Changes to Registration for Litigation Financiers

This bill allows certain types of litigation financiers who are not business entities or partnerships to amend or withdraw their registration with the Tennessee Secretary of State by filing a specific form and paying a $20 fee.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows a person who is not a business entity or partnership and acts as a litigation financier to amend or withdraw their registration with the secretary of state.
  • Requires this person to file a specific form provided by the secretary of state when making changes to their registration.
  • Sets a filing fee of $20 for amending or withdrawing registration.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Litigation financiers who are not business entities or partnerships
  • The Tennessee Secretary of State

Terms To Know

litigation financier
A person or company that provides financial support to someone involved in a lawsuit.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the filing fee is not paid.
  • The bill does not explain how this change will affect existing registrations.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/24/2025

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 271

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 271

  4. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 1

  10. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  11. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/14/2025

  14. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  15. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025

  17. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025

  18. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025

  19. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  20. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025

  21. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/26/2025

  22. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/19/2025

  24. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/19/2025

  25. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  26. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  27. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/10/2025

  28. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/12/2025

  29. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/12/2025

  30. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  31. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/5/2025

  32. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/4/2025

  33. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/4/2025

  34. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/4/2025

  35. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  36. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 2/25/2025

  37. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 2/25/2025

  38. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  39. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  40. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  41. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee

  42. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  43. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  44. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  45. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  46. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1339
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 1137
By Stevens

SB1137
003305
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47,
Chapter 16, relative to relative to litigation
financiers.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 47-16-103(c), is amended by
deleting the second sentence of the subsection and substituting:
A litigation financier that is not a business entity or partnership may amend or
withdraw its registration with the secretary of state by filing a form prescribed by
the secretary of state, along with a filing fee of twenty dollars ($20.00).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.