---
type: "Bill"
title: "Tort Liability and Reform - As enacted, requires licensure as a healthcare professional for a person to competently treat a mental health disorder; creates certain exemptions; provides for an action to recover damages. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 33; Title 63 and Title 68."
description: "Tort Liability and Reform - As enacted, requires licensure as a healthcare professional for a person to competently treat a mental health disorder; creates certain exemptions; provides for an action to recover damages. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 33; Title 63 and Title 68."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "111"
identifier: "SB 540"
citation: "Tennessee SB 540 (111)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Tort Liability and Reform"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Beck", "Lundberg"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 38
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2019-02-04"
last_action: "2019-05-15"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b4941603-de5e-4188-9252-71744cac07f7"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0540&GA=111"
source_hash: "466f5771f4a19341e2dfa7c480c0d000eb8e69716f2a2799900cdf326a4fe5e1"
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 540 (111) — Tort Liability and Reform - As enacted, requires licensure as a healthcare professional for a person to competently treat a mental health disorder; creates certain exemptions; provides for an action to recover damages. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 33; Title 63 and Title 68.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0334** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA0334.pdf)
2. **Amendment HA0448** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA0448.pdf)
3. **Amendment SA0295** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0295.pdf)
4. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Bill/SB0540.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary 4/2/2019 (4) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 2 4/24/2019 Passed (1) — **30–1** (pass) · upper
- SENATE HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 4/10/2019 Passed (3) — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/22/2019 Passed (1) — **88–4** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/10/2019 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/17/2019 Passed (2) — **31–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/22/2019 4/17/2019 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- Beck — primary (person)
- Lundberg — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2019-02-04** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-02-06** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2019-02-06** Intro. `introduction`
- **2019-02-06** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-02-07** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee
- **2019-02-07** P1C.
- **2019-02-11** P2C, ref. to Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-13** Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-13** Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/19/2019
- **2019-03-19** Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to 4/2/2019
- **2019-03-27** Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2019
- **2019-04-02** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-03** Placed on cal. Judiciary for 4/10/2019
- **2019-04-04** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 4/10/2019
- **2019-04-10** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2019-04-10** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-15** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/17/2019
- **2019-04-16** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2019
- **2019-04-17** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2019-04-17** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2019-04-17** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0295)
- **2019-04-17** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/22/2019
- **2019-04-18** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2019-04-22** Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/24/2019
- **2019-04-22** Passed H., as am., Ayes 88, Nays 4, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2019-04-22** H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA0448) `amendment-passage`
- **2019-04-22** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0334) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2019-04-22** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2019-04-22** Comp. SB subst.
- **2019-04-24** Concurred, Ayes 30, Nays 1 (Amendment 2 - HA0448) `passage`
- **2019-04-25** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2019-04-30** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2019-05-01** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2019-05-01** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2019-05-10** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2019-05-15** Pub. Ch. 359
- **2019-05-15** Effective date(s) 07/01/2019
- **2019-05-15** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 359

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b4941603-de5e-4188-9252-71744cac07f7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).