Statutes of Limitations and Repose

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 28; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to statutes of limitations.

Crime

Active

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

Sponsor: Briggs, McKenzie
Last action: 2026-04-14
Official status: Signed by H. Speaker
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Extending Time Limits for Wrongful Death Cases

This act changes how long people have to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

Changes the time limit for filing a wrongful death case from one year to two years after the event happens.
Increases the time limit to three years if criminal charges are filed against someone accused of causing or contributing to the death within two years.
Requires prosecution for vehicular homicide committed on or after July 1, 2026, to start within ten years.

Who It Names or Affects

People who want to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Tennessee.
Law enforcement officers and district attorneys involved in criminal cases related to deaths.
Individuals accused of causing or contributing to someone's death.

Terms To Know

Wrongful Death: When someone dies because another person was negligent, reckless, or intentionally harmful.
Statute of Limitations: The legal time limit for filing a lawsuit after an event happens.

Limits and Unknowns

Applies only to wrongful death cases that occur on or after July 1, 2026.
Does not specify what happens if the criminal case is delayed beyond two years.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HA0984

Amendment 1-0 to HB2432

Plain English: The amendment changes the statute of limitations for prosecuting vehicular homicide to ten years after the crime is committed, starting from July 1, 2026.

Adds a new subsection (t) to Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-2-101 that sets a specific time limit for when prosecutions for vehicular homicide must begin.

The amendment only applies to cases of vehicular homicide committed on or after July 1, 2026.
It does not specify how this change will affect existing cases before the new date.

SA0641

Amendment 1-0 to SB1840

Plain English: This amendment changes the statute of limitations for prosecuting vehicular homicide cases in Tennessee to ten years after the crime is committed, starting from July 1, 2026.

Adds a new subsection (t) to Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-2-101 that sets a specific statute of limitations for prosecuting vehicular homicide cases.

The amendment only applies to prosecutions starting on or after July 1, 2026.
It does not affect existing cases before the effective date.

Bill History

2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 58, Nays 30, PNV 5
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0984)
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/8/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/1/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2026
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0641)
2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/10/2026
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/10/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/3/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill extends the statute of limitations for causes of action for wrongful death that accrue on or after July 1, 2026. Present law requires such a cause of action to be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrued. This bill generally
extends the statute of limitations to two years after the cause of action accrued. However, this bill further extends the statute of limitations to three years after the cause of action accrued if all of the following criteria is met:



Criminal charges are brought against a person alleged to have caused or contributed to the death.



The conduct, transaction, or occurrence that gives rise to the cause of action for wrongful death is the subject of a criminal prosecution commenced within two years by a law enforcement officer, district attorney general, or grand jury.

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1840, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, provide that
prosecution for vehicular homicide

committed on or after July 1, 2026
,

must
commence within 10 years from the date the offense occurs.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 2432
By McKenzie

SENATE BILL 1840
By Briggs
SB1840
010633
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 28;
Title 39 and Title 40, relative to statutes of
limitations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 28-3-104, is amended by adding the
following new subdivision (a)(3) and redesignating the current subdivision (a)(3) appropriately:
(3)
(A) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(3)(B), a cause of action for wrongful
death shall be commenced within two (2) years after the cause of action accrued.
(B) A cause of action for wrongful death shall be commenced within three (3)
years after the cause of action accrued, if:
(i) Criminal charges are brought against any person alleged to have
caused or contributed to the death; and
(ii) The conduct, transaction, or occurrence that gives rise to the cause of
action for wrongful death is the subject of a criminal prosecution commenced
within two (2) years by:
(a) A law enforcement officer;
(b) A district attorney general; or
(c) A grand jury.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 28-3-104(a)(1), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(1) Except as provided in subdivisions (a)(2) and (a)(3), the following actions
shall be commenced within one (1) year after the cause of action accrued:

- 2 - 010633

(A) Actions for libel, injuries to the person other than wrongful death,
false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, or breach of marriage promise;
(B) Civil actions for compensatory or punitive damages, or both, brought
under the federal civil rights statutes; and
(C) Actions for statutory penalties.
SECTION 3. This act is known and may be cited as "Quinton's Law."
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to causes of action accruing on or after that date.