NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For years, information about Tennessee sex offenders have been just a few keystrokes away. Now, Tennessee lawmakers are considering a move that would create a similar registry for domestic violence offenders.
"In the last three years, we’ve had anywhere from 62,000 to 70,000 domestic violence offenses in Tennessee," said Sen. Becky Massey, R-Knoxville.
The database would be pretty similar to the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry. Anyone could scroll the list or do a direct name search. "I had a lady that I talked to last week that said that, had she been able to find that out, she would not obviously have married the fella," said Massey.
The proposed registry wouldn't have specific addresses and someone would have to have two domestic violence convictions before a name was added to the database.
Another big difference from the sex offender registry — names wouldn't stay on there forever. For instance, if someone had two domestic violence convictions, their name would last for two years. If someone had three offenses, their name would roll off after five years. If someone had four or more offenses, their name would come off after ten years. Of course, the clock would reset with new offenses. It's important to note -- domestic violence survivors -- have to give their permission for the offender to be listed on the registry.
"This is a huge issue, huge problem," said Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol.
Cost Concerns
Lawmakers seemed open to the idea in the Senate Judiciary Committee but were also concerned about the price tag. "Based on the new work that would take, that’s why we had to put on the fiscal note that we did," said Rachel Russell, the TBI Deputy Counsel of Policy who testified.
According to the bill's fiscal note, between salaries for four new staff positions, software development, and data storage, the TBI estimates it would cost taxpayers around half a million dollars each year. "I think I know where it might go because of the fiscal note, and I hate that," said Sen. Paul Rose, R-Lauderdale County.
Unintended Consequences
There are also concerns about unintended consequences. Jessica Escue, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, says they're taking a neutral stance on the bill because sometimes registries can have unintended impacts on survivors. But Escue adds that amendments to Tennessee's proposal have alleviated some of their concerns.
Ultimately, the bill squeaked out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with five votes in favor, two against, and two present not voting. Whether the database will eventually be a keystroke away? Only time will tell.
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