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SB2145 • 2026

Orders of Protection

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36 and Title 39, relative to lifetime orders of protection.

Crime
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
White, Lamberth
Last action
2026-03-05
Official status
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how to prove that an out-of-state offense is similar to one listed under Tennessee law.

Lifetime Orders of Protection for Out-of-State Offenses

This bill allows victims to file lifetime orders of protection against offenders who were convicted of certain serious crimes in other states and sets rules about where these cases can be heard.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows a victim to ask the court for a lifetime order of protection if an offender from another state was found guilty of a felony assault, criminal homicide, kidnapping, false imprisonment, sexual offense, harassment, or stalking in that other state.
  • Sets the location where these cases can be heard: either the county where the offender lives or, if they don't live in Tennessee, the county where the victim lives.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Victims of certain crimes who want to protect themselves from offenders living out-of-state.
  • Offenders convicted of serious crimes in other states and now potentially facing lifetime orders of protection in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Lifetime order of protection
A court order that lasts for a long time, protecting someone from being hurt or threatened by another person.
Venue
The place where a legal case can be heard and decided upon.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the offender lives in Tennessee but the crime was committed elsewhere.
  • Does not explain how to prove that an out-of-state offense is similar to one listed under Tennessee law.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final cal. of Calendar & Rules Committee

  2. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026

  3. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  4. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  5. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/11/2026

  6. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  7. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  9. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0, PNV 1

  10. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/2/2026

  11. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  13. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  14. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/24/2026

  15. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  16. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  17. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  18. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  19. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  20. 2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  21. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes
a victim of any of the following offenses
to
file a petition for a lifetime order of protection against the offender who was convicted of the offense:



A felony
assaultive offense, a criminal homicide offense, a kidnapping or false imprisonment offense, or a sexual
offense
.



A h
arassment
offense committed by a
person convicted of a criminal offense if, while incarcerated, on pretrial diversion, probation, community correction or parole, the person intentionally communicates in person with the victim of the person's crime if the communication is
(i) a
nonymous or threatening or made in an offensively repetitious manner or at hours known to be inconvenient to the victim;

(ii) made for no legitimate purpose; and

(iii) made knowing that it will alarm or annoy the victim
.
If the victim of the person's offense died as the result of the offense, th
is harassment offense
appl
ies
to the deceased victim's next-of-kin.



An aggravated stalking offense or an e
specially aggravated stalking
offense.

This bill authorizes
a victim
to
file

a
petition for a lifetime order of protection
against
an
offender who was convicted of
a
felony offense committed in another state that would constitute a

felony assaultive offense,
a
criminal homicide
offense
,
a
kidnapping or false imprisonment
offense
, or a sexual offense

if committed in this state. If an offense in a jurisdiction other than this state is not identified as one of th
ose
offenses
,
then it must be considered
to be such an offense
if the elements of the offense are the same as the elements of the comparable offense in this state.

VENUE

This bill provides that the v
enue for a petition for
such
an order of protection against
an
offender who was convicted of a felony offense committed in another state, and all other matters relating to such an order of protection, is in the county where the respondent resides or, if the respondent is not a resident of this state, the county in w
hich the petitioner resides.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 1900
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 2145
By White
SB2145
011976
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36
and Title 39, relative to lifetime orders of
protection.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-627(a)(1), is amended by
adding the following new subdivision:
(D) A felony offense committed in another state that would constitute an offense
listed in this subdivision (a)(1) if committed in this state. If an offense in a jurisdiction
other than this state is not identified as one (1) of the offenses listed in this subdivision
(a)(1), then it must be considered an offense listed in this subdivision (a)(1) if the
elements of the offense are the same as the elements of the comparable offense in this
state.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-627(c), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting:
(c)
(1) Venue for a petition for an order of protection under subdivisions
(a)(1)(A)-(C), and all other matters relating to such an order of protection, is in
the county where the respondent resides, the county in which the offense
occurred, or, if the respondent is not a resident of this state, the county in which
the petitioner resides.
(2) Venue for a petition for an order of protection under subdivision
(a)(1)(D), and all other matters relating to such an order of protection, is in the

- 2 - 011976

county where the respondent resides or, if the respondent is not a resident of this
state, the county in which the petitioner resides.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.