TN HB2081

Adds the commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services (or designee) as a member of the child abuse review commission

Expands the commission's authority to review any case (not just second or subsequent incidents of severe abuse) and grants access to records from any state agency necessary for its duties

Adds strangulation to the definitions of child abuse that can trigger protective orders and to the criteria for aggravated child abuse charges

Requires law enforcement officers who receive reports of child sexual abuse to refer victims to child advocacy centers for forensic interviews and notify the local child protective team

Effective dates: Sections on commission membership, authority, and law enforcement referrals take effect immediately upon becoming law; strangulation provisions take effect July 1, 2026