Protecting Families: Domestic Violence, Mental Health, and Community Safety

The safety and wellbeing of Tennessee families is not a partisan issue. It is a human one. This session, the 114th General Assembly passed a number of laws that make a real difference for families facing some of the most difficult circumstances a person can encounter.

Domestic violence is a serious problem in rural Tennessee, and we took meaningful steps to address it. We passed legislation allowing survivors of domestic violence and other crimes to use a substitute address, keeping their actual home location hidden from their abusers. This is a simple but powerful protection for people who are trying to build a new life after escaping a dangerous relationship.

We limited third-party groups from posting bail for criminal defendants, including restrictions on how often and how much these organizations can post on behalf of the same defendant. Bail is supposed to ensure that someone shows up for their court date, not become a revolving door that puts dangerous individuals back on the street.

We created new bail requirements for defendants charged with the most serious offenses, including Class A and Class B felonies, aggravated assault, and felony domestic assault. Judges must now set bail for these defendants and cannot simply release them on personal recognizance.

We passed the Grace Anne Sparks Coercive Suicide Prevention Law, which creates a new felony offense for anyone who manipulates or coerces another person into attempting suicide. It is aimed specifically at online predators and others who use digital platforms to target and destroy vulnerable individuals.

We created the Children's Digital Protection Fund, which channels money recovered from legal actions against social media and online gaming companies directly into children's mental health services, research, and suicide prevention. Our children are facing a mental health crisis, and the companies that contributed to it should help pay for the recovery.

We also passed the Caring for Caregivers Act, which creates a three-year pilot grant program for families who are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or related dementia. Families who care for a parent or spouse with dementia take on enormous physical, emotional, and financial burdens. This program provides some relief for home modifications, medical equipment, respite care, and other critical needs.

The Promising Futures Act takes on the challenge of childcare access and affordability, creating new funds to stabilize the childcare workforce, support employers who help with childcare costs, and expand access to childcare assistance for working families who earn too much to qualify for existing programs but still cannot afford the real cost of quality care.

These are the kinds of policies that make a tangible difference in the lives of real families. That is exactly what we are in Nashville to do.