During the recent Private Probation meeting held on August 1, 2025, significant progress was made regarding proposed rule changes that aim to enhance operational efficiency and accountability within the system. The council discussed three key proposed rules, two of which are set to advance to the governor's office for further review.

The first proposed rule mandates a signature requirement on quarterly reports to ensure that these reports are officially acknowledged by the court clerk. The second rule seeks to reduce the number of annual in-service training hours from 20 to 8, with a stipulation that 2 of those hours be dedicated to ethics training. Both of these rules have successfully passed departmental review and are now moving forward.

However, the third proposed rule, which aimed to incorporate the term "random" into the audit rule, has been put on hold. Executive leadership expressed concerns that adding this term could be redundant, as the existing audit rule already specifies the retention of certain information for a designated period. This decision reflects a careful consideration of the implications of the proposed changes.

The council plans to hold a vote on the two advancing rules during the next meeting scheduled for November, marking a crucial step in the ongoing efforts to refine the private probation system in Tennessee. As these changes progress, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how they impact the overall effectiveness and transparency of probation services in the state.