AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 18; Section 38-6-103; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to domestic violence.
Summary
This bill, known as "Savanna's Law," creates a new legal framework in Tennessee for identifying and tracking repeat domestic violence offenders. It defines a "persistent domestic violence offender" as a person convicted of a domestic abuse-related offense who has at least one prior conviction for a similar offense, and it directs courts to order qualifying defendants to register with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
The TBI must maintain a public internet registry containing the offender’s name, date of birth, conviction date, county of conviction, and current photograph. The registry may not include sensitive information such as an address, Social Security number, or driver license number. Court clerks are required to send conviction information to the TBI within seven days, and the TBI may also use information from the Department of Correction and local law enforcement to maintain the registry. The law applies only to offenses committed on or after January 1, 2026, though prior convictions can be counted even if they occurred earlier.
Impact
The bill adds a new part to Title 40 of the Tennessee Code establishing registration, reporting, public disclosure, and fee provisions for persistent domestic violence offenders. It also creates a $150 registration fee, with $50 retained by the court clerk for administration and $100 directed to the Department of Finance and Administration’s Office of Criminal Justice Programs for family violence prevention and intervention grants. The act is prospective only for qualifying offenses committed on or after January 1, 2026, and it requires courts, clerks, and the TBI to implement new reporting and registry duties.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support for the bill, with unanimous committee recommendations in both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee. No committee transcript was provided, but the lack of recorded opposition in committee suggests the measure was broadly viewed as a domestic violence enforcement and victim-protection bill.
Contention
The main policy issues likely concern the creation of a public registry for repeat domestic violence offenders, including privacy implications, the scope of offenses covered, and the length of time offenders remain listed. Another possible point of discussion is the mandatory registration fee and how the revenue is split between administrative costs and prevention/intervention funding. The bill’s supporters appear to be those favoring stronger domestic violence accountability and victim safety measures, while any concerns would likely come from privacy, due process, or implementation perspectives.