---
type: "Bill"
title: "Traffic Safety - As enacted, prohibits a person from physically holding or supporting, with any part of the person's body, a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device while operating a motor vehicle; imposes other similar restrictions on activities such as texting; creates certain exceptions. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 10 and Title 55, Chapter 8."
description: "Traffic Safety - As enacted, prohibits a person from physically holding or supporting, with any part of the person's body, a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device while operating a motor vehicle; imposes other similar restrictions on activities such as texting; creates certain exceptions. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 10 and Title 55, Chapter 8."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "111"
identifier: "SB 173"
citation: "Tennessee SB 173 (111)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Traffic Safety"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Holsclaw", "Swann"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 51
vote_count: 11
first_action: "2019-01-28"
last_action: "2019-05-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a9ea8d70-30d8-437c-81d5-7b364b4d4fac"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0173&GA=111"
source_hash: "b4b148a42a011cbc02933ee89e5b689d652d7f7d77f27f03ca5207bc8874dd5c"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tn"]
---

# Tennessee SB 173 (111) — Traffic Safety - As enacted, prohibits a person from physically holding or supporting, with any part of the person's body, a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device while operating a motor vehicle; imposes other similar restrictions on activities such as texting; creates certain exceptions. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 10 and Title 55, Chapter 8.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment HA0158** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA0158.pdf)
2. **Amendment HA0417** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA0417.pdf)
3. **Amendment SA0184** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0184.pdf)
4. **Amendment SA0198** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0198.pdf)
5. **Amendment SA0199** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0199.pdf)
6. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Bill/SB0173.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE SAFETY & FUNDING SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee 3/12/2019 (6) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- SENATE FINANCE, WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee 4/23/2019 Passed — **9–2** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Table Amend# 3 by Niceley 4/30/2019 Passed — **19–12** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/9/2019 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/17/2019 4/11/2019 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee 4/3/2019 (4) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO CONSIDER AMENDMENT # 2 BY HOLT PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/17/2019 Passed — **55–34** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee 3/26/2019 (5) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/17/2019 Passed (1) — **53–38** (pass) · lower
- TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 5, Nays 2 PNV 0 3/27/2019 Passed — **5–2** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/30/2019 Passed — **23–7** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Holsclaw — primary (person)
- Swann — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-01-28** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-01-28** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-01-30** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2019-01-30** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2019-01-31** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee
- **2019-01-31** P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-01** Assigned to s/c Safety & Funding Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-06** Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/13/2019
- **2019-03-06** Placed on s/c cal Safety & Funding Subcommittee for 3/12/2019
- **2019-03-12** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-13** Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/20/2019
- **2019-03-13** Action deferred in Senate Transportation and Safety Committee to 3/20/2019
- **2019-03-13** Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/19/2019
- **2019-03-19** Action def. in Transportation Committee to 3/26/2019
- **2019-03-20** Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/27/2019
- **2019-03-20** Action deferred in Senate Transportation and Safety Committee to 3/27/2019
- **2019-03-20** Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/26/2019
- **2019-03-26** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-03-27** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 5, Nays 2 PNV 0
- **2019-03-27** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/3/2019
- **2019-03-27** Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-03** Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/9/2019
- **2019-04-03** Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/9/2019
- **2019-04-03** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-09** Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 4/16/2019
- **2019-04-09** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-10** Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/16/2019
- **2019-04-10** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/11/2019
- **2019-04-11** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/17/2019
- **2019-04-16** Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 4/23/2019
- **2019-04-17** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
- **2019-04-17** Passed H., as am., Ayes 53, Nays 38, PNV 4 `passage`
- **2019-04-17** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0158) `amendment-passage`
- **2019-04-18** Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/23/2019
- **2019-04-18** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2019-04-23** Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- **2019-04-25** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/30/2019
- **2019-04-30** Companion House Bill substituted
- **2019-04-30** Passed Senate, Ayes 23, Nays 7, PNV 1 `passage`
- **2019-04-30** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - SA0198)
- **2019-04-30** Amendment tabled (Amendment 3 - SA0199) `amendment-deferral`
- **2019-04-30** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0184)
- **2019-04-30** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
- **2019-05-06** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
- **2019-05-08** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2019-05-13** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2019-05-14** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2019-05-21** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2019-05-29** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 412
- **2019-05-29** Pub. Ch. 412
- **2019-05-29** Effective date(s) 07/01/2019

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a9ea8d70-30d8-437c-81d5-7b364b4d4fac`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).