Senate Bill 1954 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, specifically Section 39-13-518, to redefine the criteria for continuous sexual abuse of a child. The bill stipulates that a person commits this offense by engaging in three or more incidents of sexual abuse of one or more minor children on separate occasions, with at least one incident occurring in the county where the charge is filed and on or after July 1, 2026. Additionally, the bill clarifies that continuous sexual abuse of a child involves multiple acts of sexual abuse occurring over a period of thirty days or more.

The bill also requires that for a conviction, the jury must unanimously agree that the defendant committed multiple acts of sexual abuse during the specified thirty-day period. These amendments aim to strengthen the legal framework surrounding sexual offenses against minors and ensure that the criteria for prosecution are clear and enforceable. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and will apply to offenses committed on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 39-13-518(a)(1)(A), 39-13-518, 39-13-518(b), 39-13-518(e)