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SB1653 • 2026

Claims Commission, Tennessee

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9, Chapter 8 and Title 29, relative to damages.

Active

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

Sponsor
Gardenhire, Bulso
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Increasing State Liability for Damages

This bill increases the amount of money the state can be responsible for when someone sues them due to an accident or injury.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law to allow the state to pay up to $500,000 per person if they are sued due to an accident or injury.
  • Raises the limit on how much money the state can be responsible for in a single event from $1 million to $1.5 million.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who might sue the state because they were hurt or had property damage.
  • The state government, which will have higher limits on how much it can pay in lawsuits.

Terms To Know

Tort
A legal term for when someone is injured and wants to sue another person or organization because they think that person caused the injury.
Liability
The responsibility of a person or organization to pay money if they cause harm or damage to others.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear how many people will be affected by this change.
  • This bill only changes the amount the state can pay; it does not affect other parts of the law about when someone can sue the state.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  5. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  6. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  7. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  8. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  9. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  10. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  14. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  15. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  16. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  17. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  20. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  25. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  26. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  27. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  28. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  29. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  30. 2025-12-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1456
By Bulso

SENATE BILL 1653
By Gardenhire
SB1653
010389
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9,
Chapter 8 and Title 29, relative to damages.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 9-8-307(e), is amended by deleting
"three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000)" and substituting "five hundred thousand dollars
($500,000)" and by deleting "one million dollars ($1,000,000)" and substituting "one million five
hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000)".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.