Bill > HB0437

This bill amends the County Sheriff's Civil Service Law of 1974 by allowing counties that have previously adopted the law to rescind their adoption through a two-thirds vote of the county legislative body. The bill adds a new subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-8-402, which previously only outlined how counties could adopt the law. By providing a mechanism for counties to opt out of the Civil Service Act, the bill gives local governments more flexibility in managing their sheriff's departments' employment practices. The County Sheriff's Civil Service Law typically establishes standardized hiring, promotion, and termination procedures for sheriff's department employees, and this amendment would allow counties to choose whether they want to continue adhering to these standardized civil service regulations. The bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law, reflecting the legislature's determination that the public welfare would benefit from this added local government option.