---
type: "Bill"
title: "Local Government, General - As enacted, prohibits a governmental entity from intentionally preventing or prohibiting law enforcement or fire and rescue services from accessing a specifically bounded area within the governmental entity's jurisdiction during a public demonstration; declares a governmental entity may be held liable for injury proximately caused by the governmental entity intentionally preventing or prohibiting law enforcement or fire and rescue services from accessing a specifically bounded area during a public demonstration. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 29 and Title 38."
description: "Local Government, General - As enacted, prohibits a governmental entity from intentionally preventing or prohibiting law enforcement or fire and rescue services from accessing a specifically bounded area within the governmental entity's jurisdiction during a public demonstration; declares a governmental entity may be held liable for injury proximately caused by the governmental entity intentionally preventing or prohibiting law enforcement or fire and rescue services from accessing a specifically bounded area during a public demonstration. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 29 and Title 38."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "111S2"
identifier: "SB 8001"
citation: "Tennessee SB 8001 (111S2)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Local Government", "General"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hensley", "Ogles"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 34
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2020-08-07"
last_action: "2020-08-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/34c82b69-529f-4037-b97e-bd35f7d3d773"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB8001&GA=111"
source_hash: "5157191903c3508e289f198cf8ea866f483f5f87c7f3ff88f28b4f3bdbfd4a57"
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 8001 (111S2) — Local Government, General - As enacted, prohibits a governmental entity from intentionally preventing or prohibiting law enforcement or fire and rescue services from accessing a specifically bounded area within the governmental entity's jurisdiction during a public demonstration; declares a governmental entity may be held liable for injury proximately caused by the governmental entity intentionally preventing or prohibiting law enforcement or fire and rescue services from accessing a specifically bounded area during a public demonstration. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 29 and Title 38.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA8002** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA8002.pdf)
2. **Amendment HA8004** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA8004.pdf)
3. **Amendment HA8012** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA8012.pdf)
4. **Amendment SA8007** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA8007.pdf)
5. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Bill/SB8001.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION MOTION TO ADOPT AMENDMENT # 2 BY CLEMMONS PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 8/12/2020 Passed — **68–19** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 8/12/2020 Passed (1) — **27–4** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO ADOPT AMENDMENT # 2 BY CLEMMONS PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 8/12/2020 Failed (3) — **20–69** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 8/12/2020 Passed (1) — **68–19** (pass) · lower
- CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE OF EXTRAORDINARY SESSION II: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II 8/12/2020 (4) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 8/12/2020 Passed (2) — **70–19** (pass) · lower
- PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OF EXTRAORDINARY SESSION II: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II 8/11/2020 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0 8/12/2020 Passed — **7–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Hensley — primary (person)
- Ogles — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-08-07** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2020-08-10** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2020-08-10** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2020-08-10** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2020-08-11** Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 8/12/2020
- **2020-08-11** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 8/11/2020
- **2020-08-11** Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in S. Judiciary Comm. 8-11-20
- **2020-08-11** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2020-08-11** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-08-11** Placed on cal. Public Safety Committee of Extraordinary Session II for 8/11/2020
- **2020-08-11** P2C, ref. to Public Safety Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-08-12** Passed H., Ayes 68, Nays 19, PNV 1 `passage`
- **2020-08-12** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA8002) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2020-08-12** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 3 - HA8012) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2020-08-12** Failed to adopt, Ayes 20, Nays 69, PNV 0
- **2020-08-12** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2020-08-12** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2020-08-12** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 4 `passage`
- **2020-08-12** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA8007)
- **2020-08-12** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar 2 for 8/12/2020
- **2020-08-12** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0
- **2020-08-12** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 8/12/2020
- **2020-08-12** Comp. SB subst.
- **2020-08-12** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 8/12/2020
- **2020-08-12** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-08-12** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II for 8/12/2020
- **2020-08-13** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2020-08-13** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2020-08-13** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2020-08-13** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2020-08-20** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2020-08-27** Pub. Ch. 2
- **2020-08-27** Effective date(s) 08/20/2020
- **2020-08-27** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 2

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/34c82b69-529f-4037-b97e-bd35f7d3d773`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).