AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 67, relative to criminal justice.
SB0906, titled the "Tennessee Sexual Violence Justice Act," makes a broad set of changes to Tennessee law aimed at improving the response to sexual assault and related offenses. The bill requires specialized, trauma-informed training for law enforcement personnel who investigate sexual assault cases, including annual sensitivity training, periodic in-service instruction, mock assessments, and POST-developed curriculum standards created with input from advocates, healthcare providers, and prevention organizations. It also directs the POST Commission to adopt rules governing evidence-based interviewing, reporting, and response practices designed to reduce retraumatization of victims.
The bill also imposes new deadlines and procedures on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for sexual assault evidence collection kits. It requires TBI to test previously untested kits submitted before July 1, 2025 by January 1, 2026, and to test new kits within 90 days of receipt beginning July 1, 2025. The bill further requires DNA profile development for CODIS and other databases, annual reporting on testing timeliness and backlog, and outsourcing to accredited private labs if TBI cannot meet the deadline. In addition, it extends the evidence retention period for sexual assault kits from 10 years to 25 years.
Beyond criminal investigation and forensic testing, the bill changes the crime victims compensation statutes to make filing deadlines and cooperation requirements more flexible for victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses, human trafficking, and stalking. It allows alternative forms of documentation, limits invasive questioning, and provides deadline waivers when filing delays are caused by delayed kit testing or DNA matching. It also expands the role of Sexual Assault Response Teams by giving them oversight authority over local law enforcement handling of sexual assault cases and requiring annual reports to the General Assembly.
The bill’s impact on state law is significant because it adds new statutory duties for POST, TBI, law enforcement agencies, and SARTs, while also amending victims compensation rules in Title 29 and evidence handling rules in Title 39. It creates a voluntary tax refund allocation mechanism to help fund the new training and expedited forensic testing, and it prevents certain POST funds from reverting to the general fund so they can support the required training. The act would take effect July 1, 2025.
No committee transcripts or vote history were provided, so there is no recorded debate or voting pattern to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears strongly victim-centered and reform-oriented, with an emphasis on accountability, faster forensic processing, and improved law enforcement practices. The main likely points of contention are the cost and administrative burden of mandatory training, backlog reduction, reporting requirements, and outsourcing testing, as well as the expanded oversight role for SARTs and the changes to compensation eligibility and filing procedures.
SB0906 would amend multiple titles of Tennessee law to create new training, reporting, and investigative standards for sexual assault cases; impose strict timelines for TBI testing of sexual assault evidence kits; extend evidence retention periods; and broaden access to crime victims compensation for domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and stalking survivors. It also authorizes new funding mechanisms and directs POST and TBI to adopt rules and procedures that reshape how sexual violence cases are handled statewide.
No committee discussion or vote data was provided, so there is no direct record of legislative sentiment. From the bill text, the measure is clearly framed as a victim-centered criminal justice reform package, suggesting support from advocates for survivors and trauma-informed policing. The absence of recorded opposition in the provided materials means any dissent can only be inferred from the bill’s operational and fiscal demands, not from actual debate.
The most likely areas of contention are the mandates placed on law enforcement and TBI, including annual training requirements, 90-day kit testing deadlines, annual reporting, and the possibility of outsourcing forensic work to private labs. Stakeholders concerned about cost, staffing, laboratory capacity, and implementation timelines may object to these requirements. The expanded authority of Sexual Assault Response Teams to audit local investigations, along with relaxed compensation filing rules and reduced cooperation/reporting barriers for certain victims, could also draw scrutiny from agencies focused on procedural standards and fraud prevention.