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SB1234 • 2026

Civil Procedure

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 28, Chapter 3; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to sexual assault.

Active

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

Sponsor
Haile, Grills
Last action
2025-03-31
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details on whether dismissals before July 1, 2025, prevent future filings. However, the bill text indicates that previous dismissals due to time limits do not bar revival actions.

Reviving Old Sexual Assault Cases

This bill allows people who were sexually assaulted when they were 18 or older to sue for damages even if the time limit has passed, but only between six months and two years after July 1, 2025.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows lawsuits based on sexual assault that happened when someone was 18 or older to be filed again if they were not allowed before because of a time limit.
  • Suits can start no earlier than six months and no later than two years after July 1, 2025.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who were sexually assaulted when they were 18 or older and whose cases are past the usual time limit for filing a lawsuit.
  • Courts that will handle these revived cases.

Terms To Know

sexual assault
An offense involving rape, sexual battery, incest, or other similar crimes.
statute of limitations
The legal time limit for filing a lawsuit after an event happens.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill only applies to cases where the assault happened when the person was 18 or older.
  • It does not change how other types of crimes are handled.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  3. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to Special Calendar on 3/18/2026

  4. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 1/21/2026

  5. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to First Calendar of 2026

  6. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  7. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/31/2025

  8. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  9. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to 4/2/2025

  10. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025

  11. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  13. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to 3/26/2025

  14. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  16. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  18. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  19. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  21. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  22. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  24. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  25. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  26. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  27. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  28. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  29. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill provides that
a civil action or an injury or illness based on a
sexual assault that occurred when the injured person was
18
or older and is barred as of July 1, 2025, because the applicable period of limitation has expired, is revived and action thereon may be commenced not earlier than six months after, and not later
than two years after July 1, 2025.

Dismissal of a previous action, ordered before July 1, 2025, on grounds that the previous action was time-barred is not grounds for dismissal of a revival action pursuant to this
bill
.

As used in this
bill
, "sexual ass
ault" means an offense involving
rape, aggravated rape, especially aggravated rape, sexual battery, aggravated sexual battery, sexual battery by an authority figure, or incest.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1301
By Grills

SENATE BILL 1234
By Haile

SB1234
002996
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 28,
Chapter 3; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to sexual
assault.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 28, Chapter 3, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Notwithstanding §§ 28-3-104 and 28-3-118, a civil action or an injury or
illness based on a sexual assault that occurred when the injured person was eighteen
(18) years of age or older and is barred as of July 1, 2025, because the applicable
period of limitation has expired, is hereby revived and action thereon may be
commenced not earlier than six (6) months after, and not later than two (2) years after
July 1, 2025.
(b) Dismissal of a previous action, ordered before July 1, 2025, on grounds that
the previous action was time-barred is not grounds for dismissal of a revival action
pursuant to this section.
(c) As used in this section, "sexual assault" means an offense involving rape, as
described in § 39-13-502, § 39-13-503, or § 39-13-534; sexual battery, as described in §
39-13-504, § 39-13-505, or § 39-13-527; or incest, as described in § 39-15-302.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.