---
type: "Bill"
title: "Tort Liability and Reform - As enacted, broadens the definition of \"governmental entity\" under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act to include certain 501(c)(4) nonprofit property owners associations that, among other requirements, own and operate a water or sewer distribution service. - Amends TCA Section 29-20-102."
description: "Tort Liability and Reform - As enacted, broadens the definition of \"governmental entity\" under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act to include certain 501(c)(4) nonprofit property owners associations that, among other requirements, own and operate a water or sewer distribution service. - Amends TCA Section 29-20-102."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "112"
identifier: "HB 697"
citation: "Tennessee HB 697 (112)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Tort Liability and Reform"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bailey", "Russell"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 39
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2021-02-09"
last_action: "2021-06-01"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c3f8f6b5-625e-49c9-b9f4-4d23040efc0a"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0697&GA=112"
source_hash: "ed189fba19884261281d8e50f2321c20906e1bb17ddffce95961233b851a1285"
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 697 (112) — Tort Liability and Reform - As enacted, broadens the definition of "governmental entity" under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act to include certain 501(c)(4) nonprofit property owners associations that, among other requirements, own and operate a water or sewer distribution service. - Amends TCA Section 29-20-102.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0307** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0307.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0114** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0114.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB0697.pdf)

## Votes

- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0 3/23/2021 Passed (2) — **8–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/28/2021 4/22/2021 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Civil Justice Committee 4/6/2021 (4) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 5/4/2021 Passed (1) — **32–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/28/2021 Passed (1) — **90–2** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/14/2021 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bailey — primary (person)
- Russell — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-02-09** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-10** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2021-02-11** 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`
- **2021-02-20** Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-22** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2021-03-17** Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/23/2021
- **2021-03-17** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2021
- **2021-03-23** Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to 3/30/2021
- **2021-03-23** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2021-03-24** Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/30/2021
- **2021-03-30** Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to 4/6/2021
- **2021-03-31** Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 4/6/2021
- **2021-04-06** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Civil Justice Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-07** Placed on cal. Civil Justice Committee for 4/14/2021
- **2021-04-14** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-21** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/22/2021
- **2021-04-22** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/28/2021
- **2021-04-28** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
- **2021-04-28** Passed H., as am., Ayes 90, Nays 2, PNV 3 `passage`
- **2021-04-28** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0307) `amendment-passage`
- **2021-04-28** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-04-29** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-04-29** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 5/3/2021
- **2021-05-03** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 5/4/2021
- **2021-05-03** Senate Reset on calendar for 5/4/2021
- **2021-05-03** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
- **2021-05-03** Companion House Bill substituted
- **2021-05-04** Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2021-05-04** Senate Amendment withdrawn.
- **2021-05-06** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
- **2021-05-11** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2021-05-13** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-13** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2021-05-25** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2021-06-01** Effective date(s) 05/25/2021
- **2021-06-01** Pub. Ch. 534
- **2021-06-01** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 534

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c3f8f6b5-625e-49c9-b9f4-4d23040efc0a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).