Starting on January 1, 2026, Tennessee has become the first state in the US to implement a general registry of repeat domestic violence aggressors with the passage of a new law named in honor of slain sheriff’s deputy Savanna Puckett. With the launch of Savanna’s Law, Tennessee’s new domestic violence offender registry is gaining nationwide attention, praised by advocates as a measure to prevent future abuse while drawing scrutiny from critics over privacy and implementation concerns.
The legislation mandates that the state of Tennessee organize a digital public data collection of individuals who have been convicted of, or have pleaded guilty to, at least two separate counts of domestic violence. The registry will include offenders’ names, dates of birth, photographs, and the locations of their convictions, though it will not list home addresses. Domestic abusers could remain on the registry for up to 20 years following their most recent conviction. The law applies only to convictions or guilty pleas entered on or after January 1.
Savanna Puckett, a 22-year-old sheriff’s deputy, inspired the law after she was murdered on January 23, 2022, by her former boyfriend, James Jackson Conn. After Puckett failed to report to work in Robertson County, Tennessee, a colleague checked on her and found her home ablaze. Firefighters later discovered her body inside, where she had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Conn was arrested the day after her death, later pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree murder, and is currently serving a life sentence in prison.
At the time of Puckett’s death, Conn had a documented history of domestic aggression. Police reports cited by The Tennessean describe multiple incidents in 2019 in which he pushed a former girlfriend down a flight of stairs, dragged her through a yard, and struck her in the head. A few months later, he coerced another woman onto pavement when she attempted to leave his car. Despite a no-contact order, Conn repeatedly called her and ultimately broke into her home. He later pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including domestic violence and trespassing.
“I was just horrified when I finally saw all those records, because I know Savanna well enough that she would have never dated him,” Puckett’s mother, Kim Dodson, told a local Tennessee news outlet, as reported by The Guardian. “I honestly, honestly, honestly feel that if she had known that, she could still be here.” Following her daughter’s death, Dodson began advocating for a domestic violence offender registry, emphasizing that transparency could prevent similar tragedies.
“In most cases, abusers are repeat offenders, and it often takes somebody multiple times to report that abuser. This is somebody who has to have had two convictions, at least two convictions. We are very hopeful that this will help save lives and protect women and children and men as well,” she said, according to WSMV.
Domestic violence continues to be a widespread matter in the United States. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, roughly one out of four women and one out of seven men have experienced severe domestic assault. Research has also linked domestic abuse to mass violence. A study by Johns Hopkins University found that over 68% of mass shootings from 2014 to 2019 concerned an aggressor who either killed a significant other or a relative or possessed a documented record of domestic violence.
The rollout of Savanna’s Law has sparked national interest, with proponents hailing it as a step toward preventing repeat domestic violence, while opponents caution about potential privacy issues and enforcement challenges. Legislators in other states are watching closely to see whether the registry can truly reduce repeat offenses and improve public safety.
