Sexual Offenders

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify if religious groups must share this information with their members or the general public.

Sexual Offenders Must Report Religious Group Membership

This bill requires sexual and violent sexual offenders to report their membership in religious groups when registering or updating their registration information.

What This Bill Does

• Requires sexual and violent sexual offenders to provide the name, physical address, mailing address if different from physical address, and phone number of any church, temple, or other religious group where they are registered members.
• Makes this information public along with other details about the offender's registration.
• Requires the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to share all public information about an offender with any religious groups where the offender is a member when registering or updating their status.

Who It Names or Affects

• Sexual and violent sexual offenders in Tennessee who are required to register.
• Religious organizations in Tennessee that have members who are registered as sexual or violent sexual offenders.

Terms To Know

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI)

The state agency responsible for collecting and maintaining information about registered sex offenders.

Public Information

Information that is available to the public, not just government officials or specific individuals.

Limits and Unknowns

• It's unclear how this bill will be enforced or what penalties there might be for non-compliance.
• The bill does not specify if religious groups must share this information with their members or the general public.
• There is no mention of how this new requirement will impact privacy concerns for offenders.

Official Summary Text

For sexual and violent sexual offender registration, present law requires within 48 hours
of establishing or changing a pri
mary or secondary residence, establishing a physical presence at a particular location, becoming employed or practicing a vocation
,
or becoming a student in this state,
an
offender
to
register or report in person.
The Tennessee bureau of investigation (TB
I) registration form must require the registrant's signature and disclosure of certain information under penalty of perjury. This bill expands the list of required information on the form to require the offender to provide the name,
physical address, mail
ing address if different from physical address, and phone number of any church, temple, or other religious group or organization in this state where the offender is a registered member
.

Present law provides that for any offender
convicted in this state o
f a sexual offense or violent sexual offense

that requires the offender to register,
certain
information concerning the registered offender
must
be considered public information.
This bill expands the information that must be considered public to now incl
ude the
name and address of any church, temple, or other religious group or organization in this state where the offender is a registered member.

I
mmediately after an offender registers or updates a registration,
present law requires
TBI
to
provide all i
nformation in the registry about the offender that is made public pursuant to
law. This bill expands such information that is made public to now include any
church, temple, or other religious group or organization in this state where the offender is a reg
istered member
.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 1225
By Lafferty

SENATE BILL 451
By Massey

SB0451
002168
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40,
Chapter 39, Part 2, relative to sexual and violent
sexual offenders.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-39-203(i), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) The name, physical address, mailing address if different from physical
address, and phone number of any church, temple, or other religious group or
organization in this state where the offender is a registered member;
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-39-206(d), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(17) The name and address of any church, temple, or other religious group or
organization in this state where the offender is a registered member.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-39-206(d), is amended by
deleting "subdivisions (d)(1)-(16)" wherever it appears and substituting "subdivisions (d)(1)-
(17)".
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-39-214(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) Any church, temple, or other religious group or organization in this state
where the offender is a registered member;
SECTION 5. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.