---
type: "Bill"
title: "Adoption - As enacted, authorizes a court to waive certain waiting periods and expedite certain proceedings relative to the adoption of children abandoned or voluntarily left at a facility or in a newborn safety device if certain conditions are met. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 1; Title 37, Chapter 5 and Title 68, Chapter 11."
description: "Adoption - As enacted, authorizes a court to waive certain waiting periods and expedite certain proceedings relative to the adoption of children abandoned or voluntarily left at a facility or in a newborn safety device if certain conditions are met. - 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 164"
citation: "Tennessee HB 164 (113)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Adoption"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Butler"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 34
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2023-01-12"
last_action: "2023-05-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5d9e386e-ca75-4d7f-b4d7-a3040f21741c"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0164&GA=113"
source_hash: "f6f20f80719b17c9237aafa08c97fc55ebe227331a64cc1610e58042f8e05139"
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 164 (113) — Adoption - As enacted, authorizes a court to waive certain waiting periods and expedite certain proceedings relative to the adoption of children abandoned or voluntarily left at a facility or in a newborn safety device if certain conditions are met. - 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 HA0307** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/HA0307.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0193** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0193.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/HB0164.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/29/2023 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/3/2023 3/30/2023 — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/3/2023 Passed (1) — **92–3** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/6/2023 Passed (1) — **29–1** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CHILDREN & FAMILY AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Civil Justice Committee 3/21/2023 — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/3/2023 3/30/2023 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · 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`
- **2023-02-15** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-03-01** Placed on s/c cal Children & Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/7/2023
- **2023-03-07** Action Def. in s/c Children & Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/14/2023
- **2023-03-08** Placed on s/c cal Children & Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/14/2023
- **2023-03-14** Reset on Final cal. of Children & Family Affairs Subcommittee
- **2023-03-15** Placed on s/c cal Children & Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/21/2023
- **2023-03-21** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Civil Justice Committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-22** Placed on cal. Civil Justice Committee for 3/29/2023
- **2023-03-29** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/30/2023
- **2023-03-29** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-30** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-03-30** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/3/2023
- **2023-04-03** Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 3, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2023-04-03** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-04-03** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0307) `amendment-passage`
- **2023-04-03** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-04-05** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2023-04-06** Passed Senate, Ayes 29, Nays 1 `passage`
- **2023-04-06** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0193)
- **2023-04-06** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. `substitution`
- **2023-04-10** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. `enrolled`
- **2023-04-17** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2023-04-17** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2023-04-18** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-04-28** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-02** Effective date(s) 07/01/2023
- **2023-05-02** Pub. Ch. 293

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5d9e386e-ca75-4d7f-b4d7-a3040f21741c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).