---
type: "Bill"
title: "Child Custody and Support - As enacted, requires a court to include written findings of fact and conclusions of law to support a custody arrangement or parenting plan, unless both parents have agreed; revises provisions governing kinship foster care program; revises certain provisions regarding abandonment for purposes of termination of parental rights. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37."
description: "Child Custody and Support - As enacted, requires a court to include written findings of fact and conclusions of law to support a custody arrangement or parenting plan, unless both parents have agreed; revises provisions governing kinship foster care program; revises certain provisions regarding abandonment for purposes of termination of parental rights. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "112"
identifier: "HB 237"
citation: "Tennessee HB 237 (112)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Child Custody and Support"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bell", "Littleton"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 43
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2021-01-19"
last_action: "2021-05-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b08f1d88-cdcb-434e-ae5b-1b2ab23b23d9"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0237&GA=112"
source_hash: "1ad1c023e39b35ac94f6d98fb3e73e1d6a677baad788ac1d401dcdf99876dff7"
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 HB 237 (112) — Child Custody and Support - As enacted, requires a court to include written findings of fact and conclusions of law to support a custody arrangement or parenting plan, unless both parents have agreed; revises provisions governing kinship foster care program; revises certain provisions regarding abandonment for purposes of termination of parental rights. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0258** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0258.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0063** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0063.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB0237.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/19/2021 4/15/2021 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 1 3/16/2021 Passed (2) — **7–1** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/22/2021 Passed (1) — **30–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/7/2021 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CHILDREN & FAMILY AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Civil Justice Committee 3/31/2021 (4) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/19/2021 Passed (1) — **91–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bell — primary (person)
- Littleton — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-19** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-08** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2021-02-10** Assigned to s/c Children & Family Affairs Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-10** P2C, ref. to Civil Justice Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-11** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-02-11** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-22** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2021-03-10** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2021
- **2021-03-16** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 1
- **2021-03-23** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/25/2021
- **2021-03-24** Placed on s/c cal Children & Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/31/2021
- **2021-03-25** Senate Reset on calendar for 4/1/2021
- **2021-03-30** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/1/2021
- **2021-03-31** Placed on cal. Civil Justice Committee for 4/7/2021
- **2021-03-31** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Civil Justice Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-01** Senate Reset on calendar for 4/8/2021
- **2021-04-06** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/8/2021
- **2021-04-07** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-04-07** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-08** Senate Reset on calendar for 4/15/2021
- **2021-04-13** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2021
- **2021-04-14** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2021
- **2021-04-15** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/19/2021
- **2021-04-15** Senate Reset on calendar for 4/22/2021
- **2021-04-19** Passed H., as am., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-19** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0258) `amendment-passage`
- **2021-04-19** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-04-20** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
- **2021-04-20** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/22/2021
- **2021-04-21** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-04-22** Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-22** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0063)
- **2021-04-22** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
- **2021-04-22** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-04-22** Companion House Bill substituted
- **2021-04-23** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
- **2021-04-26** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2021-04-26** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2021-04-27** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-04** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-18** Effective date(s) 07/01/2021
- **2021-05-18** Pub. Ch. 311
- **2021-05-18** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 311

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b08f1d88-cdcb-434e-ae5b-1b2ab23b23d9`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).