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HB1820 • 2026

County Officers

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 8 and Title 38, relative to constables.

Elections Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Russell, Roberts
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide details about the cost or specific training programs that meet POST standards, leaving these points as unknowns.

Changes for Constables in Tennessee

This bill changes when new constables must complete training and who can sign off on their mental fitness.

What This Bill Does

  • Moves up the date when new constables must have completed a special police academy from August 1, 2030, to January 1, 2029.
  • Changes the requirement for a letter certifying mental and cognitive fitness to be signed by a Tennessee-licensed healthcare provider qualified in psychiatry or psychology.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to become constables in Tennessee after January 1, 2029.
  • Current constables who might run for another term and don't need the new training.

Terms To Know

POST
This stands for Peace Officer Standards and Training. It's a program that sets standards for police training in Tennessee.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much it will cost or where the money will come from.
  • It is unclear if there are specific training programs that meet POST standards yet.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1820

Plain English: The amendment changes requirements for constables in Tennessee by adding new training and health certification rules.

  • Requires constables elected or appointed after January 1, 2029 to complete a POST-approved law enforcement training program unless they have served one full term before that date.
  • Adds a requirement for candidates seeking election as constable to provide a letter from a licensed healthcare provider stating the candidate is free of any mental health condition that would affect job performance.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if someone fails to meet these new requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/8/2026

  4. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 4/8/2026

  5. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  6. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  7. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 90, Nays 2, PNV 0

  9. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0666)

  10. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/7/2026

  11. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  12. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  15. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 3/24/2026

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  19. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  23. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  25. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026

  26. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026

  27. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  29. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee to 2/18/2026

  30. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  31. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  32. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  34. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  35. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  36. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  37. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 2, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1820, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:



Changes the date after which an elected or appointed constable is required to have graduated from a Tennessee POST-approved certified law enforcement training academy from August 1, 2030, to January 1, 2029.



Revises the present law provision requiring a person seeking the office of constable to file with the county election commission a letter from a licensed psychologist stating that the candidate is mentally and cognitively fit to perform the duties of a constable. This amendment rewrites that provision to, instead, require a person seeking such office to file with the commission a letter from a Tennessee licensed healthcare provider qualified in the psychiatric or psychological field certifying the candidate as being free from any impairment, as set forth in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders at the time of the examination, that would, in the professional judgment of the examiner, affect the candidate's ability to perform an essential function of the job, with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2645
By Roberts

HOUSE BILL 1820
By Russell
HB1820
011903
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5;
Title 8 and Title 38, relative to constables.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-10-102(a)(1), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:
(F) If elected or appointed to the office of constable on or after August 1, 2030,
have graduated from a Tennessee POST-approved certified law enforcement training
academy; provided, however, that this subdivision (a)(1)(F) does not apply to a person
who has held the office of constable for one (1) complete term and is reelected to the
office of constable on or after August 1, 2030.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.