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 protection orders if they would be classified as similar offenses under Tennessee law. This means that if an out-of-state felony has elements that match those of a comparable Tennessee offense, it can be included in the list of offenses that warrant a lifetime order of protection.

Additionally, the bill modifies the venue requirements for filing petitions for orders of protection. It establishes that petitions related to certain offenses can be filed in the county where the respondent resides, where the offense occurred, or, if the respondent is out of state, where the petitioner resides. For offenses classified under the new subdivision concerning out-of-state felonies, the venue is limited to the county where the respondent resides or, if they are not a resident of Tennessee, where the petitioner resides. This change aims to streamline the process for obtaining protection orders in cases involving out-of-state offenses.

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