---
type: "Bill"
title: "Tort Liability and Reform - As enacted, enacts \"Tennessee COVID-19 Recovery Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 8, Part 3; Title 29, Chapter 34; Title 29, Chapter 20 and Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1."
description: "Tort Liability and Reform - As enacted, enacts \"Tennessee COVID-19 Recovery Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 8, Part 3; Title 29, Chapter 34; Title 29, Chapter 20 and Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "111S2"
identifier: "SB 8002"
citation: "Tennessee SB 8002 (111S2)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Tort Liability and Reform"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Johnson", "Lamberth"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 35
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2020-08-07"
last_action: "2020-08-20"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0c2b836f-dfa1-41e3-a8a3-84cc1c758363"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB8002&GA=111"
source_hash: "6822e53071e87f324a9b9842c3c55280b4967d4176bc3ae07297bb8609f78444"
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 8002 (111S2) — Tort Liability and Reform - As enacted, enacts "Tennessee COVID-19 Recovery Act." - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 8, Part 3; Title 29, Chapter 34; Title 29, Chapter 20 and Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA8010** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA8010.pdf)
2. **Amendment HA8011** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA8011.pdf)
3. **Amendment HA8013** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA8013.pdf)
4. **Amendment SA8001** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA8001.pdf)
5. **Amendment SA8003** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA8003.pdf)
6. **Amendment SA8004** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA8004.pdf)
7. **Amendment SA8005** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA8005.pdf)
8. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Bill/SB8002.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 8/12/2020 Passed (1) — **80–10** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Table Amend# 4 by Yarbro 8/12/2020 Passed (2) — **27–4** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO ADOPT AMENDMENT # 3 BY STEWART PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 8/12/2020 Failed (3) — **18–71** (fail) · lower
- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0 8/11/2020 Passed (4) — **7–2** (pass) · upper
- CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE OF EXTRAORDINARY SESSION II: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II 8/12/2020 (5) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- COVID RELATED LIABILITY COMMITTEE OF EXTRAORDINARY SESSION II: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II 8/11/2020 (6) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 8/12/2020 Passed (2) — **70–20** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 8/12/2020 Passed (1) — **27–4** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Table Amend# 3 by Yarbro 8/12/2020 Passed (3) — **27–4** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO ADOPT AMENDMENT # 2 BY CLEMMONS PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 8/12/2020 Failed (4) — **19–72** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- Johnson — primary (person)
- Lamberth — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-08-07** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2020-08-10** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2020-08-10** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2020-08-10** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2020-08-11** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 8/12/2020
- **2020-08-11** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0
- **2020-08-11** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 8/11/2020
- **2020-08-11** Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in S. Judiciary Comm. 8-11-20
- **2020-08-11** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2020-08-11** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-08-11** Placed on cal. COVID Related Liability Committee of Extraordinary Session II for 8/11/2020
- **2020-08-11** P2C, ref. to COVID Related Liability Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-08-12** Passed H., Ayes 80, Nays 10, PNV 1 `passage`
- **2020-08-12** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA8010) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2020-08-12** Failed to adopt, Ayes 18, Nays 71, PNV 1
- **2020-08-12** Failed to adopt, Ayes 19, Nays 72, PNV 0
- **2020-08-12** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2020-08-12** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2020-08-12** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 4 `passage`
- **2020-08-12** Amendment #4 tabled `amendment-deferral`
- **2020-08-12** Amendment #3 tabled `amendment-deferral`
- **2020-08-12** Amendment #2 tabled `amendment-deferral`
- **2020-08-12** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA8001)
- **2020-08-12** Comp. SB subst.
- **2020-08-12** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 8/12/2020
- **2020-08-12** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-08-12** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II for 8/12/2020
- **2020-08-13** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2020-08-13** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2020-08-13** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2020-08-13** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2020-08-17** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2020-08-20** Pub. Ch. 1
- **2020-08-20** Effective date(s) 8/17/2020
- **2020-08-20** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0c2b836f-dfa1-41e3-a8a3-84cc1c758363`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).