Tennessee's GPS tracking law for high-risk domestic violence takes effect July 1 | Tennessee

(The Center Square) – A new law in the state of Tennessee requires some domestic violence offenders to wear a GPS receiver as a condition of their release on bail.

The bill was signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and will take effect on July 1.

Senate Bill 1972 was named after Debbie Sisco and Marie Varsos, who killed by Shaun Varsos in a murder-suicide in 2021 after Varsos was mistakenly released from prison early on domestic violence charges without notifying the victims.

The law requires that the tracker be monitored by a central office that is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can notify local law enforcement authorities in the event of violations of injunctions.

“This bill will help victims of domestic violence know when the perpetrator is nearby in cases of serious domestic violence,” Republican Rep. Clay Doggett of Pulaski told the House. “It simplifies the process so that victims can get help as quickly as possible when a violation occurs.”

Doggett described the pretrial phase of a domestic violence charge as a delicate and deadly time in a victim's life.

The law requires the accused to pay for the pursuer and the prosecution. It applies to cases of serious bodily harm such as strangulation or attempted strangulation.