Domestic Assault Offenders Registry Bill “Savanna’s Law,” Honors Deputy Savanna Puckett
UPDATE: It appears that the bill is going through one or two amendments designed to improve the language of the bill. To follow the bill and any amendments CLICK HERE.
ROBERTSON COUNTY TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – A bill that would place domestic assault offenders on a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) registry is moving through the Tennessee legislature after the House Criminal Justice Committee recommended it for passage last week.
Called “Savanna’s Law,” HB2898/SB1868, the bill was filed for introduction for the Tennessee Legislative session back on January 31, 2024, by Rep. Sabi Kumar (R – Springfield), and is co-sponsored in the Senate by Senator Becky Massey (R- Knoxville). The bill received a recommendation for passage by the Senate on March 20.
The bill was created in honor of Deputy Savanna Puckett who was killed in her home in 2022. Puckett was killed by her ex-boyfriend, 27-year-old James Conn, who pled guilty to her murder. Puckett was shot multiple times and her Springfield home was set on fire. FULL STORY Reportedly, Conn had a history of domestic-related incidences, if true, that information might have been pivotal for Puckett.
Savanna’s Law aims to establish a registry within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) for individuals convicted of domestic assault. The TBI would oversee and provide public access to the registry online.
The person convicted of domestic assault will not be registered, however, if the victim objects or the victim is unavailable to consent, according to the language of the bill.
The full (unedited) summary of the proposed bill has been added below.
BILL SUMMARY
This bill creates within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) a registry of persons who have been convicted of the offense of domestic assault. The TBI must maintain this registry based upon information supplied to TBI by the court clerks pursuant to this bill, and information available to the TBI from the Department of Corrections and local law enforcement agencies. The TBI must make the registry available for public inquiry on the Internet.
This bill requires the registry to consist of the person’s name, date of birth, conviction date, county or counties of convictions, and a current photograph of the person. If available after reasonable inquiry, the court clerk must provide the TBI with a copy of the person’s driver’s license, or other state or federal identification, and such other identifying data as the TBI determines is necessary to properly identify the convicted person and exclude innocent persons. However, the registry available for public inquiry must not include the person’s address, social security number, driver’s license number, or any other state or federal identification number.
When a person is convicted of or pleads guilty to, the offense of domestic assault, this bill requires the court to require the defendant to register under this bill if the victim consents to the defendant being required to register. However, the court must not require the defendant to register under this bill if the victim does not consent or if the victim is unavailable. If a court orders a defendant to register under this bill, then the court clerk must forward to the TBI a certified copy of the qualifying conviction and the date of birth of the defendant. The court clerk must forward the information to the TBI within 60 days of the date of the conviction.
In addition to any other punishment that may be imposed for a conviction of the offense of domestic assault, this bill provides that a person required to register under this bill must be assessed a registration fee of $150, which must be paid to the court clerk imposing the sentence, who must then (i) retain $50 for the administration of this bill, which must be reserved for the purposes authorized by this bill at the end of each fiscal year; and (ii) remit $100 to the TBI for the administration of this bill, which must be reserved for the purposes authorized by this bill at the end of each fiscal year.
This bill requires the TBI to remove from the registry the name and other identifying information of persons required to register under this bill as follows:
(1) One year after the date of the first conviction if the defendant has no prior convictions for the offense of domestic assault;
(2) Two years after the date of the most recent conviction if the defendant has a previous conviction for the offense of domestic assault;
(3) Five years after the date of the most recent conviction if the defendant has two previous convictions for the offense of domestic assault;
(4) Ten years after the date of the most recent conviction if the defendant has four or more previous convictions for the offense of domestic assault; or
(5) Within five days of the TBI’s receipt of a written request from a victim of the offense to remove the defendant from the registry.
APPLICABILITY
This bill clarifies that it only applies to persons convicted of the offense of domestic assault for offenses committed on or after January 1, 2025.
WSMV Contributed to this report.
Related stories:
Robertson Deputy Found Shot Inside Burning Home
Smyrna Man Charged In Death of Deputy Savanna Puckett
Tennessee To Seek Death Penalty In RC Deputy Savanna Puckett’s Murder
Mobile: To See The Latest Stories or to share this article, scroll below
