Gov. Bill Lee has signed legislation, known as Savanna’s Law, that establishes a domestic violence registry in Tennessee. The new law, sponsored by State Rep. Sabi “Doc” Kumar, R-Springfield, goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026. Savanna’s Law establishes a registry within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) for individuals convicted of a second or subsequent […]
Gov. Bill Lee has signed legislation, known as Savanna’s Law, that establishes a domestic violence registry in Tennessee. The new law, sponsored by State Rep. Sabi “Doc” Kumar, R-Springfield, goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
Savanna’s Law establishes a registry within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) for individuals convicted of a second or subsequent domestic violence offense.
“We’ve taken an important step forward with Savanna’s Law,” Kumar said. “This registry is a tool that will help protect individuals and families across Tennessee by giving them the information they need to stay safe from repeat offenders.”
The law honors Robertson County Deputy Patrol Officer Savanna Puckett, who was murdered on Jan. 23, 2022, by a former partner. James Jackson Conn, who pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder, is serving a life sentence. Investigators later discovered Conn had prior domestic assault convictions.
The registry makes the offender’s name, date of birth, conviction date, county of conviction and current photograph publicly available. It does not include sensitive information such as addresses or Social Security numbers.
Courts must order individuals convicted of a second or subsequent domestic violence offense to register with the TBI. County clerks are required to submit a certified copy of the conviction to the bureau within seven days.
Savanna’s Law imposes a $150 registration fee. Of that, $50 will cover administrative costs and $100 will go to the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration’s Office of Criminal Justice Programs to fund grants for family violence prevention and intervention services.
Offenders may be removed from the registry after a designated period, depending on their conviction history.
Lawmakers included $503,900 for Savanna’s Law in the state’s $59.8 billion balanced budget passed in April.