Amends TCA Title 38.

This bill enacts the "Sexual Assault Response Team Act," which requires each local law enforcement agency to assemble, by January 1, 2024, an adult sexual assault response team to assist in responding to incidents of sexual assault with adult victims that occur within the agency's jurisdiction. The team must include members with expertise in a variety of disciplines relevant to sexual assault response, including, but not limited to: (1) Victim advocacy; (2) Law enforcement; (3) Criminal prosecution; (4) Healthcare services; and (5) Mental health services. This bill requires the chief law enforcement officer of the agency to report the establishment of such a team, and the names and areas of expertise of each member, to the TBI. Under this bill, except by court order, communications between an adult sexual assault response team member and a sexual assault victim are confidential and not subject to the open records law. However, this bill does not prevent the district attorney general and counsel for a defendant from providing each other information, which would otherwise be held confidential, in a pending criminal case where the defendant's constitutional rights require it. ON APRIL 5, 2023, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 22, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 renames the response teams as sexual assault response teams (SARTs). Instead of requiring law enforcement agencies to assemble, by January 1, 2024, a response team to assist in responding to incidents of sexual assault with adult victims that occur within the agency's jurisdiction, this amendment requires law enforcement agencies to begin, by January 1, 2024, collaboration between existing law enforcement agency resources and available community resources as a SART, to assist in identifying gaps in service and improving response systems for sexual assault involving adult victims that occur within the agency's jurisdiction. This amendment authorizes a SART to meet, in person or by telephone or virtual means, periodically as needed. This amendment removes the requirement that chief law enforcement officers report the establishment of response teams and the name and areas of expertise of each team member to the TBI.