Tennessee POST starts rulemaking process and approves waivers, in‑service exceptions and certification recommendations

The Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission on May 16 authorized the department to begin the formal rulemaking hearing process, accepted recommendations from its certification subcommittee and approved a slate of personnel waivers and in‑service exceptions.

The commission voted to allow the department to file a Notice of Rulemaking Hearing with the Tennessee Secretary of State and to schedule a public rulemaking hearing at least 52 days later to review proposed redline changes to the commission rules. General counsel described the process as an opportunity for the commission to go “line by line” through proposed changes at a future open meeting.

The action followed a report from the certification subcommittee. Commissioners accepted the subcommittee’s recommendations on a series of certification matters, including continuances, agreed orders and default decertifications from the subcommittee’s April 17 and May 15 informal hearings. The accepted recommendations included continuances for several sheriffs’ and police department matters and default decertifications where an agreed order or response was not filed.

The commission also approved numerous hiring waivers and…