Bill > SB1476

This bill establishes a law enforcement officer recruitment fund to help local law enforcement agencies address significant staffing shortages. Specifically, the bill creates a special account within the state general fund that will provide grants to city, municipal, or county law enforcement agencies with vacancies in 10% or more of their funded officer positions. The Department of Finance and Administration's Office of Criminal Justice Programs will administer the fund, developing procedures for grant applications, determining grant amounts, and establishing reporting requirements to ensure accountability. The fund can accept public and private donations, with the state treasurer responsible for investing the money, and any interest earned will remain in the fund. Importantly, the bill specifies that the fund's money can only be used for officer recruitment purposes, and any unspent funds at the end of a fiscal year will carry forward to the next year. The bill does not automatically appropriate funds and will take effect on July 1, 2026, meaning the legislature will need to specifically allocate money to the fund in a future appropriations act for it to be operational.

Justice

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB1476&ga=114