---
type: "Bill"
title: "Courts, General Sessions - As enacted, changes the method by which a civil action in the general sessions courts is commenced from issuance of a warrant by the clerk to filing a warrant with the clerk. - Amends TCA Section 16-15-716."
description: "Courts, General Sessions - As enacted, changes the method by which a civil action in the general sessions courts is commenced from issuance of a warrant by the clerk to filing a warrant with the clerk. - Amends TCA Section 16-15-716."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "110"
identifier: "SB 160"
citation: "Tennessee SB 160 (110)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Courts", "General Sessions"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["DeBerry", "Kelsey"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 38
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2017-01-30"
last_action: "2017-05-11"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/fb79563f-827c-43f7-a0fc-77940c4f7e80"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0160&GA=110"
source_hash: "e75774ee04598d1ef296efcb84407d3622605f914f452670f52f62bd56688e60"
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 160 (110) — Courts, General Sessions - As enacted, changes the method by which a civil action in the general sessions courts is commenced from issuance of a warrant by the clerk to filing a warrant with the clerk. - Amends TCA Section 16-15-716.

## Version chain

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

1. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/110/Bill/SB0160.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: MOTION TO ADOPT 2/27/2017 Passed (1) — **33–0** (pass) · upper
- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee 2/21/2017 Passed — **8–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- DeBerry — primary (person)
- Kelsey — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2017-01-30** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-01-31** Filed for intro. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-01** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2017-02-01** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2017-02-02** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2017-02-02** P2C, ref. to Civil Justice Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-03** Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-15** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/21/2017
- **2017-02-21** Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- **2017-02-22** Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/1/2017
- **2017-02-24** Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 calendar for 2/27/2017
- **2017-02-27** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2017-02-27** Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2017-03-01** Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/8/2017
- **2017-03-01** Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to 3/8/2017
- **2017-03-02** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2017-03-08** Placed on cal. Civil Justice Committee for 3/14/2017
- **2017-03-08** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Civil Justice Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-14** Action def. in Civil Justice Committee to 3/21/2017
- **2017-03-15** Placed on cal. Civil Justice Committee for 3/21/2017
- **2017-03-21** Action def. in Civil Justice Committee to 3/28/2017
- **2017-03-22** Placed on cal. Civil Justice Committee for 3/28/2017
- **2017-03-23** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-03-28** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-29** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-04-19** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/20/2017
- **2017-04-20** H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/24/2017
- **2017-04-24** Passed H., Ayes 87, Nays 0, PNV 1 `passage`
- **2017-04-24** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2017-04-24** Comp. SB subst.
- **2017-04-25** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2017-04-26** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2017-04-26** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2017-04-27** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2017-05-04** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2017-05-11** Pub. Ch. 267
- **2017-05-11** Effective date(s) 05/04/2017
- **2017-05-11** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 267

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/fb79563f-827c-43f7-a0fc-77940c4f7e80`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).