---
type: "Bill"
title: "Firefighters - As enacted, enacts the \"James 'Dustin' Samples Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 2; Title 9; Title 50, Chapter 6 and Title 68, Chapter 102."
description: "Firefighters - As enacted, enacts the \"James 'Dustin' Samples Act.\" - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 2; Title 9; Title 50, Chapter 6 and Title 68, Chapter 102."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "113"
identifier: "SB 856"
citation: "Tennessee SB 856 (113)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Firefighters"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bailey"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 21
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2023-01-30"
last_action: "2023-05-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3bebf43c-2d99-497c-b6e1-6c829a8f7754"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0856&GA=113"
source_hash: "99f017e1c5bb25a102c26069e2466504df4fae9e896dfd11ecc220c29838ae31"
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 856 (113) — Firefighters - As enacted, enacts the "James 'Dustin' Samples Act." - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 2; Title 9; Title 50, Chapter 6 and Title 68, Chapter 102.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/HA0024.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0039** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0039.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/SB0856.pdf)

## Votes

- SENATE COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 2/21/2023 Passed — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- SENATE FINANCE, WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee 4/20/2023 Passed (2) — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2023 Passed (1) — **95–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/21/2023 Passed (1) — **30–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bailey — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-30** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2023-02-02** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2023-02-06** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee `passage`
- **2023-02-14** Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 2/21/2023
- **2023-02-21** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2023-04-13** Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/20/2023
- **2023-04-20** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/21/2023
- **2023-04-20** Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- **2023-04-21** Passed H., Ayes 95, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2023-04-21** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0024) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2023-04-21** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2023-04-21** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2023-04-21** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 30, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2023-04-21** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0039)
- **2023-04-28** Enrolled and ready for signatures `enrolled`
- **2023-05-03** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2023-05-05** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2023-05-09** Transmitted to Governor for action. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-17** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-24** Effective date(s) 05/17/2023, 01/01/2024
- **2023-05-24** Pub. Ch. 465

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3bebf43c-2d99-497c-b6e1-6c829a8f7754`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).