AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8 and Title 38, relative to sexual assault response teams.
Summary
SB1123 creates the “Statewide Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Coordinator Act” and establishes a new statewide SART coordinator position. The coordinator’s role is to provide statewide leadership, technical assistance, training support, and oversight to help ensure local sexual assault response teams are functioning properly and complying with applicable laws. The bill also directs the coordinator to help improve access to resources and to support the overall effectiveness of SARTs in responding to sexual assault cases.
The bill places the coordinator within the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, where the coordinator would report to the organization’s executive director. Funding for the position would come, subject to appropriations, through grants from the Department of Finance and Administration’s Office of Criminal Justice Programs to the coalition. The bill also requires an annual report to the legislature by February 1 on statewide SART status, training efforts, compliance, service gaps, and recommendations for improvement. The act would take effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
This bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 38 by adding a new section establishing a statewide SART coordinator and setting out duties, reporting requirements, and funding structure. It would not create a new criminal offense, but it would formalize statewide coordination and oversight for sexual assault response teams, affecting local SARTs, the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Office of Criminal Justice Programs. The annual reporting requirement would also create a new legislative oversight mechanism for the program.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests generally favorable support for the bill, with the Senate Judiciary Committee recommending passage by a 5-2 vote. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate broader concerns or endorsements beyond the vote itself. The committee action indicates the bill was viewed as a constructive administrative and victim-services measure, though not unanimously supported.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are likely the creation of a statewide coordinator housed within an outside nonprofit rather than a state agency, and the bill’s reliance on grant funding subject to appropriations. Those features may raise questions about accountability, long-term funding stability, and the appropriate balance between state oversight and nonprofit administration. The 5-2 committee vote also indicates some disagreement, though the specific objections are not available in the provided materials.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 55 and Title 65, relative to weapons.