Senate Bill 1937, also known as House Bill 2081, amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to child abuse. Notably, it adds the commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services or their designee to the list of individuals involved in child abuse reporting. The bill also modifies existing language to include the new subdivision (a)(14) in the reporting requirements and updates references to child protective teams and the commission's review process. Additionally, it allows the commission to access necessary records from state agencies to fulfill its responsibilities.

Further amendments include the expansion of definitions related to abuse to include "strangulation" and the requirement for law enforcement officers to refer victims of reported child sexual abuse to local child advocacy centers for forensic interviews. The bill's provisions are set to take effect upon becoming law, with certain sections effective from July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 37-3-804(a), 37-3-804, 37-3-804(b)(1)(A), 37-3-809, 37-3-809(1), 37-3-809(2), 37-1-102(b)(28)(A)(i), 37-1-102, 39-15-402(a)(3), 39-15-402, 39-13-506