Tennessee Senate Bill SB2123

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/22/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9; Title 28 and Title 29, relative to limitations on proceedings.

Summary

SB2123 amends Tennessee law governing statutes of limitation by replacing Tennessee Code Annotated Section 28-1-113. The bill states that, unless another law expressly provides otherwise, the statutes of limitation in Title 28 apply to the state and to the state’s political subdivisions. In practical terms, this means the state and local governments would generally be subject to the same time limits for bringing or defending civil claims as private parties, unless a specific exception exists elsewhere in law. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies only to causes of action that accrue on or after that date. It is a targeted procedural change affecting civil litigation involving governmental entities, including the state, counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions covered by Tennessee law.

Impact

The bill would change Tennessee’s rules on limitations periods by making clear that Title 28 statutes of limitation apply to the state and its political subdivisions unless a different statute says otherwise. This could affect when claims involving government entities must be filed and when those entities may assert limitation defenses, potentially aligning public entities more closely with private litigants in civil procedure. The amendment would apply prospectively to new causes of action accruing on or after July 1, 2026.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the text alone, the bill appears technical and procedural rather than ideological, with a neutral policy framing focused on clarifying limitation rules for government entities.

Contention

Because there are no transcripts or votes, specific points of contention are not documented in the provided record. Potential areas of dispute, if any, would likely center on whether applying ordinary limitation periods to the state and its subdivisions could expand or restrict governmental exposure to lawsuits, and whether any existing exceptions should remain intact or be modified.