Law Enforcement - As enacted, requires TACIR to conduct a study of the salaries and other benefits paid to state and local law enforcement officers in this state; authorizes the commissioner of safety to establish a haza, the official text

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                            PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 1121

                                                    SENATE BILL NO. 2177

                                 By Yager, Bailey, Bowling, Crowe, Jackson, Seal

                                           Substituted for: House Bill No. 2204

                                                      By Williams, Littleton

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 38, relative to
          compensation of law enforcement officers.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. The Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations (TACIR)
shall conduct a study of the salaries and other benefits paid to state and local law enforcement
officers in this state. The study must include:

                    (1) Analysis of how current salaries and benefits paid to state and local law
          enforcement officers affect recruitment, staffing, and retention, particularly in smaller city and
          county departments, and evaluate potential alternatives for improvement; and

                    (2) Analysis of how state salary increases and adjustments for state law enforcement
          officers affect recruitment, staffing, and retention of local law enforcement officers.

          SECTION 2. TACIR shall publish a report of its findings and recommendations and deliver a
copy of the report to the governor, the speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house of
representatives, and the legislative librarian no later than January 31, 2027. The report may be
delivered electronically.

          SECTION 3. TACIR may request information and input from other appropriate state and local
governmental entities, as necessary, and such entities shall comply with TACIR's request. The study
must be conducted from TACIR's existing resources.

          SECTION 4. As used in this act:

                    (1) "Local law enforcement officer" means a full-time, salaried employee of a political
          subdivision who is a sheriff, sheriff's deputy, police officer, chief of police, or other law
          enforcement officer whose primary responsibility is the prevention and detection of crime and
          apprehension of offenders, or who is a correctional officer with the political subdivision; and

                    (2) "State law enforcement officer" means a full-time, salaried employee of the state
          who is a commissioned member of the department of safety, an agent of the Tennessee
          bureau of investigation, a commissioned employee of the wildlife resources agency engaged
          in law enforcement activities on a day-to-day basis, a commissioned member of the alcoholic
          beverage commission who is engaged in law enforcement activities on a day-to-day basis, or
          a correctional officer vested with the powers of a law enforcement officer by the
          commissioner of correction.

          SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 7, Part 2, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:

                    The commissioner of safety may establish a hazardous duty designation for members
          of the highway patrol that may be used to authorize additional compensation for designated
          members.

          SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
         SENATE BILL NO. 2177

PASSED:  April 21, 2026

                                               RANDY ~NALLY
                                  SPEAKER OF THE tENATE

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                            CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
                           HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

a APPROVED this 2-;)w}. day of YY\:xA     2026

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                      BILL LEE, GOVERNOR