Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-103 (2026)
Application of chapter
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a)
- (1) Any governmental entity may exempt itself from this chapter by action of its legislative body if such action is taken by January 1, 1975; provided, that §§ 7-31-103, 7-31-112, [former] 7-51-202 [repealed] and 7-51-203, shall apply to any governmental entity exempting itself from this chapter.
- (2) Any governmental entity exempting itself from this chapter may by resolution of its governing body elect at any time to come under this chapter, provided, that this chapter would only apply to claims or actions arising after the effective date of such resolution.
- (b) After January 1, 1976, this chapter shall apply to all governmental entities as defined herein, provided that as to those governmental entities exempting themselves, as provided for in the preceding subsection, this chapter will only apply to claims or actions arising after January 1, 1976.
- (c) Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to deprive any person of any cause of action or damages to which they are otherwise entitled arising under the federal Civil Rights Acts of 1871 and 1964, as amended.
Acts 1973, ch. 345, § 31; 1974, ch. 780, § 1; 1975, ch. 252, § 1; T.C.A., § 23-3303; Acts 1987, ch. 405, § 9.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1987–2025 · leading case: Jenkins v. Loudon Cnty., 736 S.W.2d 603 (Tenn. 1987).
Jenkins v. Loudon Cnty., 736 S.W.2d 603 (Tenn. 1987). “T.C.A. § 29-20-103(b) makes the GTLA applicable "to all governmental entities as defined herein, provided that as to those governmental entities exempting themselves, as provided for in the preceding subsection, this chapter will not apply to claims or actions arising after…”
Timberlake by Timberlake v. Benton, 786 F. Supp. 676 (M.D. Tenn. 1992). “The basis for this motion is Tennessee’s Governmental Tort Liability Act, as codified at T.C.A. § 29-20-103, et seq. As courts in this District have read the Act, it appears to place exclusive original jurisdiction for claims arising under it with the state courts.”
Johnson v. South Cent. Human Resource Agency, 926 S.W.2d 951 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1996). “T.C.A. § 29-20-103(b) provides that the GTLA applies to “all governmental entities as defined herein,_” T.”
Jenkins v. Loudon Cnty., 736 S.W.2d 599 (Tenn. 1987). “T.C.A. § 29-20-103(b) makes the GTLA applicable “to all governmental entities as defined herein, provided that as to those governmental entities exempting themselves, as provided for in the preceding subsection, this chapter will not apply to claims or actions arising after…”
Dowlen v. The City of Springfield, Tennessee (M.D. Tenn. 2025). “See Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-20-103 (b), -305(b).”
Frederick Bertrand, a citizen & resident of Benton Cnty., Tennessee v. The Reg'l Med. Ctr. At Memphis, A Tennessee Corp. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2008). “Clearly, the legislature intended that the 2003 amendments to section 29-20-103(3)(B) apply not only to actions arising from injuries sustained after July 1, 2003, but to “all claims filed” on or after that date.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-103(3)(B) — 1 case
Frederick Bertrand, a citizen & resident of Benton Cnty., Tennessee v. The Reg'l Med. Ctr. At Memphis, A Tennessee Corp. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2008). “Clearly, the legislature intended that the 2003 amendments to section 29-20-103(3)(B) apply not only to actions arising from injuries sustained after July 1, 2003, but to “all claims filed” on or after that date.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-103(b) — 3 cases
Jenkins v. Loudon Cnty., 736 S.W.2d 603 (Tenn. 1987). “T.C.A. § 29-20-103(b) makes the GTLA applicable "to all governmental entities as defined herein, provided that as to those governmental entities exempting themselves, as provided for in the preceding subsection, this chapter will not apply to claims or actions arising after…”
Johnson v. South Cent. Human Resource Agency, 926 S.W.2d 951 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1996). “T.C.A. § 29-20-103(b) provides that the GTLA applies to “all governmental entities as defined herein,_” T.”
Jenkins v. Loudon Cnty., 736 S.W.2d 599 (Tenn. 1987). “T.C.A. § 29-20-103(b) makes the GTLA applicable “to all governmental entities as defined herein, provided that as to those governmental entities exempting themselves, as provided for in the preceding subsection, this chapter will not apply to claims or actions arising after…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.