---
type: "Bill"
title: "Adoption - As enacted, revises the definition of abandonment for purposes of termination of parental rights to include circumstances where the parent or guardian fails to visit or support the child for a period of three consecutive months if the child is less than four years of age. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 1; Title 37, Chapter 5 and Title 68, Chapter 11."
description: "Adoption - As enacted, revises the definition of abandonment for purposes of termination of parental rights to include circumstances where the parent or guardian fails to visit or support the child for a period of three consecutive months if the child is less than four years of age. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 1; Title 37, Chapter 5 and Title 68, Chapter 11."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "113"
identifier: "HB 163"
citation: "Tennessee HB 163 (113)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Adoption"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Butler"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 30
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2023-01-12"
last_action: "2023-05-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dfc460b0-bb65-478a-84f7-7d3ea6435afe"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0163&GA=113"
source_hash: "372d365347de378414ee9f2e1c011fd4e988b5968622335f52d6beded6e3c598"
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 163 (113) — Adoption - As enacted, revises the definition of abandonment for purposes of termination of parental rights to include circumstances where the parent or guardian fails to visit or support the child for a period of three consecutive months if the child is less than four years of age. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 1; Title 37, Chapter 5 and Title 68, Chapter 11.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment SA0447** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0447.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0462** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0462.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/HB0163.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/23/2023 Passed (1) — **92–2** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/23/2023 3/16/2023 — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/17/2023 Passed (1) — **25–6** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: MESSAGE CALENDAR 2 CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT # 2 4/19/2023 Passed — **88–11** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CHILDREN & FAMILY AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Civil Justice Committee 3/7/2023 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/23/2023 3/16/2023 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/15/2023 — **0–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Butler — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-12** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2023-01-20** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2023-01-21** P2C, ref. to Civil Justice Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-24** Assigned to s/c Children & Family Affairs Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-30** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-02-02** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-02-06** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-03-01** Placed on s/c cal Children & Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/7/2023
- **2023-03-07** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Civil Justice Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-08** Placed on cal. Civil Justice Committee for 3/15/2023
- **2023-03-15** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/16/2023
- **2023-03-15** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-16** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/23/2023
- **2023-03-23** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen. `receipt`
- **2023-03-23** Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 2, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2023-03-23** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-03-30** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2023-04-17** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 25, Nays 6 `passage`
- **2023-04-17** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0462)
- **2023-04-17** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0447)
- **2023-04-17** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. `substitution`
- **2023-04-19** H. concurred in S. am. no. SA1 Ayes 88, Nays 11 PNV 0 HB0163
- **2023-04-19** H. Placed on Message Calendar #2 for 4/19/2023
- **2023-04-24** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. `enrolled`
- **2023-04-28** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2023-05-03** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2023-05-04** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-11** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-18** Effective date(s) 07/01/2023
- **2023-05-18** Pub. Ch. 373

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dfc460b0-bb65-478a-84f7-7d3ea6435afe`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).