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HB1128 • 2026

County Officers

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 10 and Title 38, Chapter 8, relative to constables.

Crime Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Farmer, Seal
Last action
2025-05-27
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/21/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and official text do not provide details on the exact content of the 128-hour training program.

County Constables Training and Certification

This bill changes how newly elected or appointed county constables in Tennessee must be trained and certified.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires newly elected or appointed constables to complete 128 hours of training within the first year after being chosen for the position.
  • Allows a new constable to work with another fully trained constable or POST-certified officer until they finish their required training, except if the constable has served as a full-time, POST-certified law enforcement officer within five years.
  • Permits an exemption from the 128-hour requirement if the constable completes a similar basic law enforcement course within one year of appointment.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County constables newly elected or appointed on or after July 1, 2025
  • The Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission

Terms To Know

POST commission
A state agency responsible for setting standards and providing training for law enforcement officers.
In-service training
Training that is required to be completed while an officer is already working in their position.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact content of the 128-hour training program.
  • It removes previous requirements and penalties related to constables completing in-service education but does not provide new penalties for non-compliance.
  • The effectiveness date is set for May 21, 2025.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1128

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee's laws about constables by removing their law enforcement powers if they don't complete required training and sets new rules for training.

  • Constables lose their law enforcement powers if they do not finish the required in-service education.
  • Newly elected or appointed constables must complete 128 hours of approved training within a year, unless they have recently served as full-time police officers.
  • Violating these rules is now a Class C misdemeanor.
  • The exact details about the consequences for violating the new requirements are not fully explained in the amendment text.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1065

Plain English: The amendment changes the requirements for constables in Tennessee, including limiting their powers and setting new training standards.

  • Constables will lose their law enforcement authority if they do not complete required education.
  • Newly elected or appointed constables must complete 128 hours of training within a year.
  • Constables who fail to meet the training requirement must work with trained officers until they are fully trained.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about the consequences for failing to comply with the new requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/21/2025

  2. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 516

  3. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 516

  4. 2025-05-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 2

  10. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0220)

  11. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  12. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  13. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  15. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 90, Nays 1, PNV 0

  16. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0350)

  18. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025

  19. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  20. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  21. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/17/2025

  22. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2025

  23. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  24. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  25. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  26. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  27. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  28. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025

  29. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025

  30. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/8/2025

  31. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025

  32. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  33. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  34. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/25/2025

  35. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025

  36. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  37. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2025

  38. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  39. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  40. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  41. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee to 3/12/2025

  42. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  43. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  44. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  45. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  46. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  47. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  48. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  49. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE

Present law requires th
e Tennessee peace officer standards and training (POST) commission to issue a certificate of compliance to any person who meets the qualifications for employment as a police officer and satisfactorily completes an approved recruit training program. Prese
n
t law also requires the POST commission to issue certificates to persons employed as campus police officers, public safety officers, and railroad police officers who meet certain qualifications and satisfactorily complete approved training programs.

This
bill requires the POST commission to also issue a certificate of compliance to any person duly elected and sworn as a county constable if such person meets the qualifications for employment as a police officer and satisfactorily completes an approved rec
r
uit training program. To retain such certification, the constable must successfully complete an annual in-service training session appropriate for the constable's responsibilities. However, the POST commission must not require a constable to work a cert
a
in number of hours in order to retain certification. Additionally, this bill clarifies that a constable is not required to be certified by the POST commission to perform the duties of a constable.

COMPLETION OF EDUCATION PRIOR TO EXERCISE OF POWERS AND A
UTHORITY

Present law generally requires each elected constable to complete 40 hours of in-service course time for each 12-month period during which the constable holds office, beginning on the date the constable is sworn into office. However, such requi
rement does not apply to any constable with 20 years of cumulative service as a constable before May 3, 2018.

Present law prohibits a constable from exercising any law enforcement powers and authority conferred upon the constable if the constable fails
to complete such in-service education requirements. A constable who violates such prohibition commits a Class C misdemeanor, subject to a fine only, with each day of the violation constituting a separate offense. This bill removes these prohibition pro
v
isions and, instead, provides the following:



Each constable newly elected or appointed on or after July 1, 2025, must complete 128 hours of training in law enforcement duties. This training must be accomplished during the first year following election or appointment.



Prior to completing the required training, the constable must be paired with another constable who has completed all training requirements or a POST-certified law enforcement officer during the constable's official duties. However, this provision does not apply to a constable who is elected or appointed within five years of having served as a full-time, POST-certified law enforcement officer.



The 128-hour training requirement may be waived if the officer successfully completes a comparable basic law enforcement course within one year of the date of election or appointment.

ON APRIL 16, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1128, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 removes the provisions of this bill described in the Bill
Summary under the title CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE and restores the present law prohibition against
a constable exercising any law enforcement powers and authority conferred upon the constable if the constable fails to complete such in-service education r
equirements.
This amendment also restores the present law penalty for a
constable who violates such prohibition commits
, which is
a Class C misdemeanor, subject to a fine only, with each day of the violation constituting a separate offense.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1065
By Seal

HOUSE BILL 1128
By Farmer

HB1128
002928
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 10 and Title 38, Chapter 8, relative to
constables.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-8-107, is amended by adding the
following new subsection:
(g)
(1) The commission shall also issue a certificate of compliance to any
person duly elected and sworn as a county constable; provided, that the person
meets the qualifications for employment as a police officer and satisfactorily
completes an approved recruit training program as required by this part. To
retain such certification, the constable shall also successfully complete an annual
in-service training session appropriate for the constable's responsibilities.
(2) A constable is not required to be certified by the POST commission to
perform the duties of a constable.
(3) The POST commission shall not require a constable to work a certain
number of hours in order to retain certification.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-10-104, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead:
(a) Each constable newly elected or appointed on or after July 1, 2025, must
complete one hundred twenty-eight (128) hours of training in law enforcement duties.
This training must be accomplished during the first year following election or
appointment.

- 2 - 002928

(b) Prior to completing the required training, the constable must be paired with
another constable who has completed all training requirements or a POST-certified law
enforcement officer during the constable's official duties. This subsection (b) does not
apply to a constable who is elected or appointed within five (5) years of having served as
a full-time, POST-certified law enforcement officer.
(c) The one hundred twenty-eight-hour training requirement may be waived if the
officer successfully completes a comparable basic law enforcement course within one
(1) year of the date of election or appointment.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.