Bill > HB1128

This bill amends Tennessee law to establish new training requirements for county constables. Specifically, constables newly elected or appointed on or after July 1, 2025, must complete 128 hours of law enforcement training approved by the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission within their first year of service. During this training period, new constables must be paired with either a trained constable or a POST-certified law enforcement officer while performing their official duties, with an exception for those who have served as full-time, POST-certified law enforcement officers within the past five years. The training requirement can be waived if the constable completes a comparable basic law enforcement course within one year of election or appointment. Failure to complete the required training will result in the constable losing their law enforcement powers, and continuing to exercise these powers without proper training would constitute a Class C misdemeanor, with each day of violation considered a separate offense. The bill aims to ensure that constables are properly trained and prepared to perform their law enforcement duties effectively and safely.