---
type: "Bill"
title: "Workers Compensation - As enacted, adds a requirement that an award of attorneys' fees and costs incurred when an employer unreasonably denies a workers' compensation claim or unreasonably fails to timely initiate any of the benefits associated with the claim must be based on a finding by the workers' compensation judge that the employer's conduct was unreasonable; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 50, Chapter 6."
description: "Workers Compensation - As enacted, adds a requirement that an award of attorneys' fees and costs incurred when an employer unreasonably denies a workers' compensation claim or unreasonably fails to timely initiate any of the benefits associated with the claim must be based on a finding by the workers' compensation judge that the employer's conduct was unreasonable; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 50, Chapter 6."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "114"
identifier: "SB 1981"
citation: "Tennessee SB 1981 (114)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Workers Compensation"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Briggs"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 23
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2026-01-22"
last_action: "2026-05-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0010542b-bb90-48eb-ad37-edc8684084eb"
source_url: "https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=SB1981&ga=114"
source_hash: "051f449d4a6edf14d9247c6444ec9dd307dc8d8f4d8eae02bfb7e8b2dda92dba"
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 1981 (114) — Workers Compensation - As enacted, adds a requirement that an award of attorneys' fees and costs incurred when an employer unreasonably denies a workers' compensation claim or unreasonably fails to timely initiate any of the benefits associated with the claim must be based on a finding by the workers' compensation judge that the employer's conduct was unreasonable; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 50, Chapter 6.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0961** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0961.pdf)
2. **Amendment HA0962** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0962.pdf)
3. **Amendment SA0581** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0581.pdf)
4. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB1981.pdf)

## Votes

- SENATE COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 3/3/2026 Passed — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 2 4/13/2026 Passed (1) — **32–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/12/2026 Passed (2) — **33–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/7/2026 Passed (1) — **94–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Briggs — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-22** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2026-02-02** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2026-02-05** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-24** Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/3/2026
- **2026-03-03** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2026-03-10** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/12/2026
- **2026-03-12** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2026-03-12** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2026-03-12** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0581)
- **2026-03-16** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2026-04-07** Passed H., as am., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2026-04-07** H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA0962) `amendment-passage`
- **2026-04-07** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0961) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2026-04-07** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2026-04-10** Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/13/2026
- **2026-04-13** Concurred, Ayes 32, Nays 0 (Amendment 2 - HA0962) `passage`
- **2026-04-15** Enrolled and ready for signatures `enrolled`
- **2026-04-16** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2026-04-16** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2026-04-17** Transmitted to Governor for action. `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-27** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-05** Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
- **2026-05-05** Pub. Ch. 845

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0010542b-bb90-48eb-ad37-edc8684084eb`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).