# Tennessee SB 1981: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 50, Chapter 6, relative to workers' compensation. Tennessee SB 1981, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 50, Chapter 6, relative to workers' compensation., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-05-05 (Effective date(s) 07/01/2026); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB1981-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Tennessee SB 1981 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 50, Chapter 6, relative to workers' compensation. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-22 - Last action: 2026-05-05, Effective date(s) 07/01/2026 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Workers Compensation - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (168 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More legal cost help for injured workers: benefit, low. For injuries on or after July 1, 2026, Tennessee’s workers’ compensation court may award reasonable lawyer fees and costs. This applies when employers fail to provide care, medicine, supplies, or equipment required by a settlement, hearing order, or judgment. For injuries from July 1, 2026, through… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - (none) ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-13 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 2 4/13/2026 | pass | 32 | 0 | | | 2026-04-07 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/7/2026 | pass | 94 | 0 | | | 2026-03-12 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/12/2026 | pass | 33 | 0 | | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | SENATE COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE | pass | 9 | 0 | | ## Actions (23) - 2026-05-05: Effective date(s) 07/01/2026 - 2026-05-05: Pub. Ch. 845 - 2026-04-27: Signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2026-04-17: Transmitted to Governor for action. (Senate) - 2026-04-16: Signed by H. Speaker (House) - 2026-04-16: Signed by Senate Speaker (Senate) - 2026-04-15: Enrolled and ready for signatures (Senate) - 2026-04-13: Concurred, Ayes 32, Nays 0 (Amendment 2 - HA0962) (Senate) - 2026-04-10: Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/13/2026 (Senate) - 2026-04-07: Passed H., as am., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0 (House) - 2026-04-07: H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA0962) (House) - 2026-04-07: Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0961) (House) - 2026-04-07: Subst. for comp. HB. (House) - 2026-03-16: Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk. (House) - 2026-03-12: Engrossed; ready for transmission to House (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0 (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0581) (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/12/2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/3/2026 (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee (Senate) - 2026-02-02: Introduced, Passed on First Consideration (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Filed for introduction (Senate) ## Bill text - HA0962 (Substitute), 2026-04-07: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0962.pdf) - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0845.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB1981.pdf) - HA0961: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0961.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB1981.pdf) - SA0581: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0581.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 2017: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 34, Part 6, relative to creditable service for a period of disability. (signed) - SB 1915: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 1 and Title 4, Chapter 58, relative to public benefits. (signed) - SB 1900: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 40, relative to first responders. (signed) - SB 1766: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 9; Title 12; Title 13; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68, relative to infrastructure development distric… (signed) - SB 1771: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 13, relative to zoning outside of municipal boundaries. (signed) - SB 1667: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29; Title 55 and Title 56, relative to motor vehicle financial responsibility. (signed) ## Sources - [HA0962 (Substitute) (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0962.pdf) - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0845.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB1981.pdf) - [HA0961 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0961.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB1981.pdf) - [SA0581 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0581.pdf) ## Related - [SB 2017: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 34, Part 6, relative…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2017-2025-2026) - [SB 1915: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 1 and Title 4, Chapt…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB1915-2025-2026) - [SB 1900: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 40, relative to fi…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB1900-2025-2026) - [SB 1766: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 9; Title 12; Title 13;…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB1766-2025-2026) - [SB 1771: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 1…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB1771-2025-2026) - [SB 1667: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29; Title 55 and Title 56, rela…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB1667-2025-2026) - [Tennessee bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee/bills) - [Tennessee state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB1981-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).