Tennessee Senate Bill SB0842

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Engrossed: 4/10/25
• Enrolled: 4/16/25
• Passed: 4/24/25
• Chaptered: 4/29/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 12; Title 12, Chapter 3 and Title 29, relative to insurance.

Summary

SB0842 is a narrow Tennessee insurance-related measure that makes a targeted wording change in the Governmental Tort Liability Act. Specifically, it amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 29-20-407, by replacing the phrase "governmental entities representing cities and counties" with "cities, counties, or other governmental entities as contemplated by this part." The bill does not create a new insurance program or broadly rewrite liability law; instead, it clarifies the scope of the existing statutory language. The practical effect is to align the statute’s wording with a broader set of public entities that may be covered under the referenced part of the code. Because the bill amends Title 29 and is captioned as relating to insurance, it likely affects how governmental liability and insurance-related provisions are read and applied for local governments and similar public bodies. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

SB0842 makes a single statutory amendment to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 29-20-407, which is part of the state’s governmental liability framework. By changing the reference from only "governmental entities representing cities and counties" to "cities, counties, or other governmental entities as contemplated by this part," the bill broadens and clarifies the entities covered by the provision. The change may affect how cities, counties, and other qualifying governmental entities are treated under insurance or liability-related rules in Title 29, but it does not appear to impose new substantive duties or liabilities beyond the revised wording.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been received favorably and without significant opposition. It passed the Senate State & Local Government Committee by a 5-1 vote and then passed the Senate floor unanimously, 31-0. The available voting history suggests broad support for the measure and little controversy in the legislative process.

Contention

There is no committee transcript available, so specific arguments for or against the bill are not documented in the provided materials. The only visible point of possible contention is the scope of the statutory language: whether the prior wording was too narrow and whether expanding it to include "other governmental entities" could affect how the law applies beyond cities and counties. The lone committee dissent indicates at least one member had reservations, but the record provided does not explain the basis for that objection.