2016 Tennessee Code
Title 40 - Criminal Procedure
Chapter 39 - Offender Registration and Monitoring
Part 2 - Tennessee Sexual Offender and Violent Sexual Offender Registration, Verification and Tracking Act of 2004
§ 40-39-211. Residential and work restrictions.

(a) (1) While mandated to comply with the requirements of this chapter, no sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, or violent sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, whose victim was a minor, shall knowingly establish a primary or secondary residence or any other living accommodation, knowingly obtain sexual offender treatment or attend a sexual offender treatment program or knowingly accept employment within one thousand feet (1,000') of the property line of any public school, private or parochial school, licensed day care center, other child care facility, public park, playground, recreation center or public athletic field available for use by the general public.

(2) While mandated to comply with the requirements of this chapter, no sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, or violent sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, whose victim was an adult, shall knowingly establish a primary or secondary residence or any other living accommodation or knowingly accept employment within one thousand feet (1,000') of the property line of any public school, private or parochial school, licensed day care center, other child care facility, public park, playground, recreation center or public athletic field available for use by the general public.

(b) No sexual offender, violent sexual offender, or violent juvenile sexual offender, as those terms are defined in § 40-39-202, shall knowingly:

(1) Reside within one thousand feet (1,000') of the property line on which the offender's former victims or the victims' immediate family members reside;

(2) Come within one hundred feet (100') of any of the offender's former victims, except as otherwise authorized by law; or

(3) Contact any of the offender's former victims or the victims' immediate family members without the consent of the victim or consent of the victim's parent or guardian if the victim is a minor being contacted by telephone, in writing, by electronic mail, Internet services or any other form of electronic communication, unless otherwise authorized by law.

(c) While mandated to comply with the requirements of this part, no sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, or violent sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, whose victim was a minor, shall knowingly reside with a minor. Notwithstanding this subsection (c), the offender may reside or be alone with a minor if the offender is the parent of the minor, unless one (1) of the following conditions applies:

(1) The offender's parental rights have been or are in the process of being terminated as provided by law; or

(2) Any minor or adult child of the offender was a victim of a sexual offense or violent sexual offense committed by the offender.

(d) (1) No sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, or violent sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, shall knowingly:

(A) Be upon or remain on the premises of any building or grounds of any public school, private or parochial school, licensed day care center, other child care facility, public park, playground, recreation center or public athletic field available for use by the general public in this state when the offender has reason to believe children under eighteen (18) years of age are present;

(B) Stand, sit idly, whether or not the offender is in a vehicle, or remain within one thousand feet (1,000') of the property line of any building owned or operated by any public school, private or parochial school, licensed day care center, other child care facility, public park, playground, recreation center or public athletic field available for use by the general public in this state when children under eighteen (18) years of age are present, while not having a reason or relationship involving custody of or responsibility for a child or any other specific or legitimate reason for being there; or

(C) Be in any conveyance owned, leased or contracted by a school, licensed day care center, other child care facility or recreation center to transport students to or from school, day care, child care, or a recreation center or any related activity thereof when children under eighteen (18) years of age are present in the conveyance.

(2) Subdivision (d)(1) shall not apply when the offender:

(A) Is a student in attendance at the school;

(B) Is attending a conference with school, day care, child care, park, playground or recreation center officials as a parent or legal guardian of a child who is enrolled in the school, day care center, other child care center or of a child who is a participant at the park, playground or recreation center and has received written permission or a request from the school's principal or the facility's administrator;

(C) Resides at a state licensed or certified facility for incarceration, health or convalescent care; or

(D) Is dropping off or picking up a child or children and the person is the child or children's parent or legal guardian who has provided written notice of the parent's offender status to the school's principal or a school administrator upon enrollment.

(3) The exemption provided in subdivision (d)(2)(B) shall not apply if the victim of the offender's sexual offense or violent sexual offense was a minor at the time of the offense and the victim is enrolled in the school, day care center, recreation center or other child care center that is participating in the conference or other scheduled event.

(e) Changes in the ownership or use of property within one thousand feet (1,000') of the property line of an offender's primary or secondary residence or place of employment that occur after an offender establishes residence or accepts employment shall not form the basis for finding that an offender is in violation of the residence restrictions of this section.

(f) A violation of this part is a Class E felony. No person violating this part shall be eligible for suspension of sentence, diversion or probation until the minimum sentence is served in its entirety.

(g) (1) The first violation of this part is punishable by a fine of not less than three hundred fifty dollars ($350) and imprisonment for not less than ninety (90) days.

(2) A second violation of this part is punishable by a fine of not less than six hundred dollars ($600) and imprisonment for not less than one hundred eighty (180) days.

(3) A third or subsequent violation of this part is punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand one hundred dollars ($1,100) and imprisonment for not less than one (1) year.

(4) A violation of this part due solely to a lack of the written permission required pursuant to subdivision (d)(2) shall be punishable by fine only.

(h) (1) (A) While mandated to comply with the requirements of this part, it is an offense for three (3) or more sexual offenders, as defined in § 40-39-202, or violent sexual offenders, as defined in § 40-39-202, or a combination thereof, to establish a primary or secondary residence together or inhabit the same primary or secondary residence at the same time.

(B) Each sexual offender or violent sexual offender who establishes or inhabits a primary or secondary residence in violation of subdivision (h)(1)(A) commits a violation of this section.

(C) Subdivision (h)(1)(A) shall not apply if the residence is located on property that is, according to the relevant local, county, or municipal zoning law, zoned for a use other than residential or mixed-use.

(2) (A) No person, corporation, or other entity shall knowingly permit three (3) or more sexual offenders, as defined in § 40-39-202, violent sexual offenders, as defined in § 40-39-202, or a combination thereof, while such offenders are mandated to comply with the requirements of this part, to establish a primary or secondary residence in any house, apartment or other habitation, as defined by § 39-14-401(1)(A), owned or under the control of such person, corporation, or entity.

(B) Subdivision (h)(2)(A) shall not apply if the residence is located on property that is, according to the relevant local, county, or municipal zoning law, zoned for a use other than residential or mixed-use.

(3) This subsection (h) shall not apply to any residential treatment facility in which more than three (3) sexual offenders, as defined in § 40-39-202, violent sexual offenders, as defined in § 40-39-202, or combination thereof, reside following sentencing to such facility by a court or placement in such facility by the board of parole for the purpose of in-house sexual offender treatment; provided, the treatment facility complies with the guidelines and standards for the treatment of sexual offenders established by the sex offender treatment board pursuant to § 39-13-704.

(i) The restrictions set out in subsections (a)-(d) and (k) shall not apply to a violent juvenile sexual offender required to register under this part unless otherwise ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(j) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a violent juvenile sexual offender who knowingly violates this section commits a delinquent act as defined by the juvenile code.

(k) (1) As used in this subsection (k), unless the context otherwise requires:

(A) (i) "Alone with" means one (1) or more offenders covered by this subsection (k) is in the presence of a minor or minors in a private area; and

(a) There is no other adult present in the area;

(b) There is another adult present in the area but the adult is asleep, unconscious, or otherwise unable to observe the offender and the minor or minors;

(c) There is another adult present in the area but the adult present is unable or unwilling to come to the aid of the minor or minors or contact the proper authorities, if necessary; or

(d) There is another adult present in the area but the adult is also a sexual offender or violent sexual offender mandated to comply with the requirements of this part;

(ii) If the offender is in a private area where the offender has the right to be, the offender is not "alone with" a minor or minors if the offender is engaged in an otherwise lawful activity and the presence of the minor or minors is incidental, accidental, or otherwise unrelated to the offender's lawful activity; and

(B) (i) "Private area" means in or on any real or personal property, regardless of ownership, where the conduct of the offender is not readily observable by anyone but the minor or minors alone with the offender;

(ii) If the private area contains multiple rooms, such as a hotel, motel, or other place of temporary lodging, any room, rooms, or other area that the offender occupies with a minor or minors and that otherwise meets the requirements of this definition shall be considered a private area.

(2) Unless otherwise permitted by subsection (c), while mandated to comply with the requirements of this part, no sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, or violent sexual offender, as defined in § 40-39-202, shall be alone with a minor or minors in a private area.