House Bill 1900 amends Tennessee law regarding lifetime orders of protection by expanding the definition of qualifying offenses. Specifically, it adds a new provision that allows for felony offenses committed in other states to be considered for an order of protection if they would constitute a comparable offense in Tennessee. This means that if an out-of-state felony has the same elements as a listed offense in Tennessee, it can be treated as such for the purposes of obtaining an order of protection.

Additionally, the bill modifies the venue requirements for filing petitions for orders of protection. It establishes that for most offenses, the petition can be filed in the county where the respondent resides, where the offense occurred, or where the petitioner resides if the respondent is not a resident of Tennessee. For the newly included out-of-state felony offenses, the venue is limited to the county where the respondent resides or, if they are not a resident, where the petitioner resides. This change aims to streamline the process for victims seeking protection.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 36-3-627(a)(1), 36-3-627, 36-3-627(c)