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SB 1993

Landlord and Tenant - As enacted, prohibits certain persons from publishing, transmitting, or broadcasting any video of the service of civil process related to an eviction proceeding without the express written permission of the individual being served with civil process; specifies that an individual who is a victim of the publication, transmission, or broadcast of such a video without the individual's permission has a private right of action against the person violating the prohibition. - Amends TCA Title 13; Title 29 and Title 66.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by London Lamar

Prohibits private evictions videographers from publicly sharing real-time or near real-time video of service, with a private right of action and damages.

Pub. Ch. 657
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Bill Summary · SB 1993

Summary of SB 1993 / HB 2041 (Tennessee) – Landlord and Tenant Eviction Video Prohibition

Purpose and Intent

  • Prohibits private entities or individuals (and their affiliates) involved in serving eviction-related civil process from publishing, transmitting, or broadcasting videos of the service/execution of civil process related to an eviction proceeding.
  • The prohibition applies in real-time or near real-time and to videos published for purposes other than documenting the legal process.
  • Creates a private right of action for individuals who are filmed without consent, with damages and remedies available under the act.
  • Excludes law enforcement officers acting in the course of official duties from the prohibition.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Definitions:
    • “Participant in an eviction process” includes private entities or individuals serving eviction-related civil process or affiliates; excludes law enforcement officers performing official duties.
  • Core Prohibition:
    • A participant in an eviction process may not publish, transmit, or broadcast any video of the service of civil process upon an individual in real-time or near real-time without express written permission.
    • The prohibition applies to videos publicly accessible (as amended language clarifies accessibility to the public in the amended version).
  • Private Right of Action:
    • Victims of a violation may sue the offending person/entity.
    • If the victim prevails, the court must award:
    • A minimum statutory damages of $25,000 per intentional violation,
    • Actual damages,
    • Punitive damages (as authorized by existing law),
    • Other equitable relief as applicable,
    • Reasonable costs and attorney fees.
  • Exceptions:
    • Law enforcement officers serving civil process during official duties are exempt.
    • The amended version of the bill also clarifies exemptions for other parties involved in eviction proceedings (as reflected in the fiscal memo).
  • Effective Date:
    • The act takes effect upon becoming law.

Who/What is Affected

  • Affected Parties:
    • Private entities and individuals (and their affiliates) who currently publish, transmit, or broadcast videos of eviction-service proceedings.
  • Exemptions:
    • Law enforcement officers performing official duties.
    • Other specified participants in eviction proceedings as defined in the amended text.
  • Government and Courts:
    • Fiscal notes indicate the impact on local governments and court caseloads is not expected to be significant.

Procedural and Timeline Details

  • Legislative History:
    • Introduced in 2026 with amendments and enacted in March 2026.
    • Final actions included Senate approval with amendments and House concurrence, then signatures from the Governor.
    • Effective date: As provided by the act’s final enacted version (given in the fiscal notes as “Effective date(s) 04/01/2026” in the action history).
  • Related Fiscal Notes:
    • Fiscal impact: Not significant for both state/local governments and commerce.
    • Assumptions highlight that most eviction service is provided by sheriff/constable offices or private process servers; the removal of the ability to publicly publish eviction videos reduces revenue for any private video publishers, but overall impact is not expected to be significant.

Practical Implications

  • Strengthens privacy protections for individuals subjected to eviction proceedings by restricting the public dissemination of video coverage of the service process.
  • Potentially discourages media-like or publicity-oriented coverage of eviction processes by private actors.
  • Establishes clear legal remedies and a strong damages framework ($25,000 minimum per violation) to deter violations.
  • Keeps enforcement within private civil action rather than public enforcement, with a focus on the victim’s remedies.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with existing law or a plain-language FAQ for tenants and landlords.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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