Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee debates school-search rules, mass-threats law, recovery-home standards and domestic-violence registry; multiple bills move

The Senate Judiciary Committee met in Nashville to consider a wide set of public‑safety and criminal‑justice bills, taking testimony, adopting amendments and sending several measures to the calendar or to committee of jurisdiction.

The meeting front‑loaded policy items lawmakers and advocates had flagged for the session: changes to how schools may conduct physical searches of students, a bill creating a new offense for certain mass‑violence threats and for doxxing, proposed certification rules for recovery residences, and a proposal to create a persistent domestic‑violence offender registry. Committee members also heard emotional testimony from victims’ family members, civil‑rights advocates and service providers.

Why it matters: The committee considered bills that affect day‑to‑day policing and school discipline, expand criminal penalties for threats and for certain mailings of abortion‑inducing drugs, and set standards for recovery homes that local officials and neighbors have called for. Several measures were amended on the floor of the committee to narrow or clarify their scope before the committee voted.

What the committee heard and did

Threats of mass violence and doxxing (Senate Bill 12 96) Senate Bill 12 96, carried as an administration bill from the Department of Safety, would create a new felony for knowingly making a threat of mass violence that reasonably causes others to expect imminent harm; the offense would be enhanced if the threat targeted a school, house of worship, government property or a live event or if the offender took substantive steps toward carrying out the threat. The measure also would create an offense for posting a private home address or phone number with the intent to cause harm (commonly called doxxing), elevated to a misdemeanor and to a higher class of misdemeanor if actual harm results.

Advocates for children expressed concern that earlier versions of Tennesseelaw had captured very young children. Beth Cruz, a parent and education attorney at Vanderbilt Law School, told the committee the statehas previously arrested children as young as 7 under the existing mass‑threat statute: “In fiscal year 2024, 518 children were arrested under our current threats of mass violence law. The youngest was 7 years old.” Cruz urged guardrails to avoid arresting young children who are not credible threats. Zoe Jamail of Disability Rights Tennessee appealed for protections for students with disabilities and said families had reported arrests in cases where she said a child did not understand what they had said and later needed evaluation: “He thinks heis going to prison.”

Department of Safety legal staff told the committee the amendment adopted in committee raises the mens rea standard and requires the threat be made knowingly and intentionally and that the offender have the capability to carry out the threat; Elizabeth Stroker, legislative director and assistant general counsel for the Department of Safety, said the higher intent standard would exclude people who lacked intent or capacity to carry out threats. Colonel Matt Perry of the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Greg Mayes of the Tennessee Office of Homeland Security described operational practice: troopers and homeland agents investigate threats and consult with district attorneys before charges are filed.

The committee adopted the amendment that tightened intent and capability requirements and recorded a roll call that sent the bill to the finance committee (vote recorded in transcript: 6 ayes, 2 noes). The committee discussion emphasized the balance between preventing genuine threats and avoiding criminalizing children or people with developmental disabilities.

Recovery residences: certification and standards (Senate Bill 12 40) Senate Bill 12 40 would establish minimum standards and a certification process for recovery residences (sober‑living homes) and require disclosure of the existence of a certified residence to local government officials (but not public disclosure of the home addresses). Supporters said the bill arose from public concerns in some counties where houses operating as recovery residences had produced neighborhood complaints; sponsors said the goal was to raise statewide minimum standards, require reporting and set three‑year certification terms.

Paul Stevens of Oxford House, an operator of peer‑run recovery homes, testified in opposition to elements of the bill as filed. He told the committee Oxford House homes use a self‑governing model and that some provisions in the bill as drafted could unintentionally require successful peer models to change practices that researchers have associated with good outcomes: “Oxford House is a democratically self governing, financially self supporting model for recovery residences begun in 1975.” Stevens said Oxford House could not support the bill without changes to preserve that model.

Committee members and legal staff discussed grandfathering and renewal timelines. Legal clarified certificatory renewals would be valid for up to three years and that current certifications would remain valid until renewal or until 01/01/2027, language added in amendment. After additional public testimony and discussion the bill as amended passed the committee by roll call and was placed on the calendar (vote recorded in transcript: 6 ayes, 2 noes).

Persistent domestic‑violence offender registry ("Savannah—s Law", Senate Bill 324) Senate Bill 324, described by sponsor Senator Massey as “Savannah—s Law,” would create a registry for repeat domestic‑violence offenders and require the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to maintain the registry using information provided by county courts, clerks, corrections and law enforcement. The bill requires registration after a second conviction for an offense against a domestic‑abuse victim, requires timely reporting of convictions, establishes a registration fee to fund violence‑prevention programs and sets up an administrative path to petition for removal based on the number of convictions and elapsed time.

Family members of a murder victim testified in support. Kimberly Dodson identified herself as the mother of Deputy Savannah Puckett and told the committee her daughter—s murderer had multiple prior domestic‑violence charges; she said the registry could have helped inform people dating or entering relationships with repeat offenders: “I just have to think, if there would have been a domestic violence registry in place while my daughter was alive, maybe she would still be here.” Another witness described nonlethal psychological abuse and said a registry could inform potential partners and reduce repeat harm.

The committee adopted the amendment that made the bill and sent it to finance (vote recorded in transcript: 7 ayes, 1 present not voting).

Searches on school property (Senate Bill 290) Senate Bill 290, as described by sponsor Senator Bailey, would require that certain physical searches of students, lockers, vehicles or other property on school grounds be conducted by a school resource officer, school security officer or school administrator; it would require a principal to notify the parent or legal guardian of a student under 18 within a reasonable time of the need for a physical search and would require the Department of Education to create a training and orientation program for local education agencies on studentssearch rights.

Bailey explained committee amendments limit who may conduct some searches and require notification and training for school officials. The committee adopted the amendment and voted to send the bill to the calendar (vote recorded in transcript: 8 ayes, 1 present not voting).

Abortion pills by mail (Senate Bill 419) Senate Bill 419, as amended, would prohibit shipments of mifepristone or misoprostol into Tennessee when the drugs are sent for the purpose of terminating a pregnancy. Proponents described cases in which people ordered pills online and had little medical oversight; witnesses described health risks and traumatic outcomes for some clients who received pills without in‑person evaluation or follow up. Opponents raised concerns about whether civil liability for manufacturers is the right tool and contrasted other areas (for example product liability for firearms) where industry liability is limited.

The committee approved the amendment and recorded a favorable vote sending the bill forward (vote recorded in transcript: 6 ayes, 2 noes).

Other bills and votes at a glance The committee considered many additional bills (motions recorded in transcript). Below are selected measures and final committee actions recorded in the hearing. (Tally numbers and destinations are taken from the roll calls recorded in the transcript.)

Votes at a glance (selected items from the transcript) - Senate Bill 290 (school searches): amendment adopted; to calendar (roll call recorded: 8 ayes, 1 present not voting). - Senate Bill 409 (court‑fee adjustments): amendment adopted; to finance (roll call recorded: 7 ayes, 1 no, 1 present not voting). - Senate Bill 1135 / 11 35 (nuisance business enforcement): amendment adopted; to calendar (roll call recorded: 8 ayes, 1 no). - Senate Bill 1296 / 12 96 (threats/doxxing): amendment adopted to raise intent standard; to finance (roll call recorded: 6 ayes, 2 no). - Senate Bill 324 (persistent domestic‑violence offender registry): amendment adopted; to finance (roll call recorded: 7 ayes, 1 present not voting). - Senate Bill 1240 / 12 40 (recovery residence certification): amendment adopted; to calendar (roll call recorded: 6 ayes, 2 no). - Senate Bill 419 (prohibiting mailed abortion pills intended to induce abortion): amendment adopted; to calendar (roll call recorded: 6 ayes, 2 no). - Senate Bill 256 (post‑conviction/innocence procedure, amended): amendment adopted; to calendar (roll call recorded: 5 ayes, 4 no).

What to watch next - Several measures were forwarded to finance for additional committee review, including the threats/doxxing bill and the persistent domestic‑violence registry. Finance committee scheduling will determine the next hearing dates. - Sponsors and stakeholders signaled intentions to continue working with affected groups on the recovery‑residence certification language and on the practical rollout of oral‑fluid testing and other roadside testing methods mentioned in the DUI‑related amendment.

Speakers quoted in this report - Beth Cruz, parent and education attorney, Vanderbilt Law School: “In fiscal year 2024, 518 children were arrested under our current threats of mass violence law. The youngest was 7 years old.” - Zoe Jamail, Disability Rights Tennessee: “He thinks heis going to prison.” - Elizabeth Stroker, legislative director and assistant general counsel, Tennessee Department of Safety: the amendment “makes it to where the individual has to knowingly, intentionally, and be able to carry out that threat.” - Paul Stevens, Oxford House: “Oxford House is a democratically self governing, financially self supporting model for recovery residences begun in 1975.” - Kimberly Dodson, mother of Deputy Savannah Puckett (victim advocate): “I just have to think, if there would have been a domestic violence registry in place while my daughter was alive, maybe she would still be here.” - Rachel Davis, director of community relations, Life Choices of Memphis, on mailed abortion pills: “When ordering abortion pills from an online website, proof of pregnancy is rarely required.”

Notes on sources and limitations This article is based on the committee hearing transcript provided by the clerk. Quotations are verbatim from the transcript and attributed to speakers identified in committee testimony. Vote totals and procedural destinations ("to calendar," "to finance") are reported as recorded in the committee roll calls in the transcript. Where witnesses or sponsors described data (for example arrests under existing statutes) the article reports those figures as testimony given to the committee; the committee did not resolve fact‑checking during the hearing.

Ending The Senate Judiciary Committee recessed at the close of the hearing with a schedule for more bills the next day, including multiple gun‑related items set for a future session. Several bills will proceed to further hearings in finance or be scheduled for floor calendars.