Tennessee will become the first state in the nation to launch a public domestic violence offender registry, a new tool supporters say could help prevent future violence by making repeat abusers easier to identify.

The registry, created under Savanna’s Law, takes effect Jan. 1 and applies to people convicted of domestic violence offenses at least twice. It is named after Savanna Puckett, a Robertson County sheriff’s deputy who was found shot to death inside her burning home in 2022.

Puckett, 22, died at the hands of her ex-boyfriend James Jackson Conn, who pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder, among other charges, and is serving a life sentence.

It wasn’t until after the tragedy that investigators discovered Conn had a history of domestic violence and stalking.

“Tennessee is number four in states where men kill women,” said Verna Wyatt with Tennessee Voices for Victims. “So, we have a domestic violence epidemic.”

What the registry includes

Under the new law, the registry will be managed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and will include:

• The offender’s name
• Photograph
• Date of birth
• Date and county of conviction

It will not include home addresses, Social Security numbers, or driver’s license information.

Offenders could remain on the registry anywhere from two to 20 years, depending on the number of qualifying convictions.

A law shaped by tragedy

The legislation was sponsored in the House by Sabi Kumar of Springfield and passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers back in April.

During debate, Kumar told lawmakers the registry could have changed the outcome for Puckett, who worked in law enforcement but was unable to easily find domestic violence-related charges connected to her partner before her death.

“If there was a registry for such violent offenders, Savannah being involved with law enforcement would have checked it, and a tragedy could have been avoided,” Kumar said on the House floor.

Senate sponsor Becky Massey echoed that concern, noting that despite Puckett’s position as a deputy sheriff, critical information about her partner’s past was not readily accessible.

Support from victim advocates

Advocates for survivors say the registry offers an additional layer of protection, not just for victims, but for the public at large.

“Victims always have a fear about their offender going back out and doing the same thing to someone else,” Wyatt said. “It gives you a heads up. Domestic violence doesn’t make sense, but the patterns do.”

Wyatt said the registry could help people make informed decisions when dating, hiring, or trying to protect loved ones, similar to how sex offender registries are already used.

Governor Bill Lee signs “Savanna’s Law”{ }

First of its kind

Tennessee is the first state to establish a registry specifically for repeat domestic violence offenders. While a few states maintain broader violent offender registries, none are tailored solely to domestic violence. Past efforts in states like Texas and New York failed to gain traction.

Lawmakers behind Savanna’s Law say the goal is prevention, not punishment, and giving people access to information that previously required digging through court records across multiple jurisdictions.

The registry officially goes live Jan. 1, 2025.