Child Abuse

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on how the training requirements will be funded or what happens if a representative from an agency specialized in combatting CSEM cannot be found.

Child Abuse Investigation Improvements

This bill requires child protective teams to include a representative from an agency specialized in combatting commercial sexual exploitation of minors for human trafficking cases and mandates annual training on severe child abuse.

What This Bill Does

• Requires a child protective team to include a representative from one non-governmental agency specialized in combating the commercial sexual exploitation of minors if there is an allegation that a child is a victim of a human trafficking offense.
• Mandates all members of child protective teams complete 15 hours of training each year on severe child abuse and child sexual abuse, provided by the Department of Children's Services.

Who It Names or Affects

• Child protective teams in Tennessee
• The Department of Children's Services

Terms To Know

Indicated or Unfounded

A determination made by child protective services after investigating a report of abuse, indicating whether the abuse actually occurred.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Minors (CSEM)

The use of children for sexual purposes in exchange for money or other benefits.

Limits and Unknowns

• It is not clear how the additional training requirements will be funded.
• The bill does not specify what happens if a child protective team cannot find a representative from an agency specialized in combatting CSEM.

Official Summary Text

Present law requires the department of children's services ("department") to coordinate the services of child protective teams and requires at least one child protective team be organized in each county. The child protective team must be convened when t
he department receives a report of child sexual abuse or severe child abuse, and is tasked with conducting child protective investigations of reported child sexual abuse and severe child abuse and to support and provide necessary services to abused childr
en
upon referral.

This bill requires a child protective team to include a representative from one non-governmental agency specialized in combatting the commercial sexual exploitation of minors, in all cases involving an allegation that a child is a victim of a human traff
icking offense. Additionally, all child protective team members must complete 15 hours of training related to severe child abuse and child sexual abuse, provided by the department.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Present law requires the department or a child protective team to determine whether an initial report of abuse was indicated or unfounded and report such findings to the department's abuse registry within 60 days of the initial report. This bill extends
that time to 90 days, except for investigations concerning a child fatality.

For investigations concerning a child fatality, this bill requires the department or child protective team to determine whether the reported abuse was indicated or unfounded and to report findings to the department's abuse registry within 180 days of the
initial report. However, if all necessary investigative tasks cannot be completed in 180 days, then the commissioner of children's services, may authorize one extension of the investigation, for good cause, for up to 180 additional days.

ON MARCH 2, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2225, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes a technical correction to the bill.

ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 2225 FOR HOUSE BILL 2527, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2225, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 requires the department of children's services to develop the 15 hours of training required by the bill in consultation with the administrative office of the courts, the state chapter of the child advocacy centers, the Tennessee district att
orneys general conference, the Tennessee Sheriffs' Association, and the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police.

ON APRIL 2, 2026, THE SENATE CONCURRED IN HOUSE AMENDMENT #1.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 2225
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 2527
By Lamberth
HB2527
012287
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AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37,
Chapter 1, relative to child abuse investigations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-1-607(a)(1)(A)(2), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:
(2) Each team must be composed of one (1) person from the department, one
(1) representative from the office of the district attorney general, one (1) juvenile court
officer or investigator from a court of competent jurisdiction, and one (1) properly trained
law enforcement officer with countywide jurisdiction from the county where the child
resides or where the alleged offense occurred. The team may also include a
representative from one (1) of the mental health disciplines and a representative trained
in child abuse from one (1) of the medical disciplines. For cases involving an allegation
that a child is a victim of a human trafficking offense, the team shall include a
representative from one (1) non-governmental agency specialized in combatting the
commercial sexual exploitation of minors. It is in the best interest of the child that,
whenever possible, an initial investigation shall not be commenced unless all required
disciplines are represented. An initial investigation may, however, be commenced if at
least two (2) of the required team members are present at the initial investigation. In
those geographical areas in which a child advocacy center meets the requirements of §
9-4-213(a) or (b), child advocacy center directors, or their designees, must be members
of the teams under this part and part 4 of this chapter for the purposes of provision of
services and functions established by § 9-4-213 or delegated pursuant to that section.
In such event, child advocacy center directors, or their designees, may access and

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generate all necessary information, which shall retain its confidential status, consistent
with § 37-1-612.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-1-607(a)(3), is amended by
adding the following sentence at the end of the subdivision:
Each year, all team members shall complete fifteen (15) hours of training related to
severe child abuse and child sexual abuse to be provided by the department.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-1-406(i), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting instead:
(i)
(1) Except for investigations concerning a child fatality, the department or
team in cases of child sexual abuse or severe child abuse or the department in
all other cases shall determine whether the reported abuse was indicated or
unfounded and report its findings to the department's abuse registry no later than
ninety (90) days after receiving the initial report.
(2) For investigations concerning a child fatality, the department or team
shall determine whether the reported abuse was indicated or unfounded and
report its findings to the department's abuse registry no later than one hundred
eighty (180) days after receiving the initial report. If all necessary investigative
tasks to determine if the reported abuse was indicated or unfounded cannot be
completed within one hundred eighty (180) days after receiving the initial report,
then the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, may authorize one (1)
extension of the investigation for good cause, for up to an additional one hundred
eighty (180) days. The authorization shall document the good cause for the
extension and a plan for completing the investigation.

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(3) Each member of the team shall be provided with a copy of the report
in any case investigated by the team. In any case investigated solely by the
department, the department shall make a complete written investigation report,
including its recommendation, to the juvenile court. The district attorney general
shall also be provided a copy of any report in all cases where the investigation
determines that the report was indicated. Further proceedings shall be
conducted pursuant to part 1 of this chapter, as appropriate.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.