Amends TCA Title 16; Title 17; Title 25; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

GABBY ACT This bill creates a domestic violence and child abuse task force of the Tennessee bureau of investigation (TBI). The TBI must cover the costs of developing and implementing the task force by utilizing existing resources. The task force: (1) Is authorized to investigate matters pertaining to domestic abuse, domestic assault, child abuse and child neglect or endangerment, aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect and endangerment, and child sexual abuse; and (2) Must assist a local law enforcement agency ("agency") upon request regarding a case involving offenses described in (1) by setting deadlines for the local law enforcement agency, providing resources and surveillance, and conducting additional witness interviews. REQUESTS BY AGENCIES This bill requires an agency to request assistance from the task force on a case involving offenses described in (1) if an arrest warrant issued in relation to the case cannot be served within 72 hours or a search warrant issued in relation to the case cannot be served within five days. The agency must make available to the task force documentation and evidence related to the case. If the task force assists with a case, then the agency must create, in coordination with the task force, a reasonable, accurate, confidential, and available source of information for the victim and must cover the cost of implementing such source through existing resources. The agency may also recommend or provide resources to the victim. VICTIMS' BILL OF RIGHTS Present law provides that the Victims' Bill of Rights ensures that upon the request of a victim of violent crime involving serious bodily injury or death of a relative, the victim must be supplied information and a request form by the law enforcement agency responsible for the investigation of the crime or the arrest of the defendant as to how the victim or a relative of the victim may request and secure notification of the release from custody of an offender from a jail or detention facility prior to trial. The custodian of the defendant must maintain a physical or electronic record or file of the victim’s request for notification and, prior to the release of an offender about whom a notification request has been made, give immediate and prompt notice of the release to the requesting victim or family member of a victim by the most direct means available. If the requester is registered with the state’s electronic victim notification system, the notice required by this section must be communicated by the method indicated in the system. Any identifying information contained in the request forms must be kept confidential. This bill expands the scope of the victims, by including victims of domestic abuse, that qualify for this right to request and secure notification of the release from custody of an offender from a jail or detention facility prior to trial. PURPLE ALERT SYSTEM This bill establishes a Purple Alert system within the TBI to provide a statewide system for the rapid dissemination of information to expedite locating missing or endangered domestic abuse victims. The TBI must adopt uniform guidelines and procedures for issuing an alert for such persons and provide education and training to encourage radio and television broadcasters to participate in the alert. The guidelines and procedures must ensure that specific health information about a missing or endangered domestic abuse victim is not made public through the alert or otherwise. If the TBI receives a report that involves a missing or endangered domestic abuse victim, then the TBI must issue an alert providing for rapid dissemination of information statewide regarding such victim, as appropriate. The TBI must make every effort to disseminate the information as quickly as possible when the state of the victim has been reported to a law enforcement agency. This bill requires the TBI to consult with the department of transportation and develop a procedure for the use of overhead permanent changeable message signs to provide information on a missing or endangered domestic abuse victim when information is available that would enable motorists to assist in the recovery of the missing or endangered person. Both agencies must develop guidelines for the content, length, and frequency of such a message. The TBI may use the statewide infrastructure of the AMBER Alert to the extent permissible to facilitate the Purple Alert system. An entity or individual involved in the dissemination of a Purple Alert is not liable for civil damages arising from such dissemination.