POST advances rule package covering certification, training and waivers, opens seven-day public comment
Loading...
Summary
POST presented and moved forward a multi-chapter rulemaking package that would change how out-of-state officers are evaluated, add annual DUI in‑service training, alter paperwork deadlines and clarify reserve/part‑time classifications; the commission kept the public comment period open for seven days.
The Tennessee POST Commission opened a Jan. 6 rulemaking hearing and voted to advance a multi-chapter package of proposed rule changes covering certification, curricula, in-service training, forms, administration of supplements, basic academy standards, part-time/reserve officer rules and waiver criteria.
Staff said the amendments aim to modernize processes and reduce administrative burdens: the proposal replaces detailed curriculum-to-curriculum comparisons for out‑of‑state transition applicants with a point-based model (points awarded for academy hours, years of service and education), extends the deadline for officers to submit hiring paperwork to 30 days, and requires salary‑supplement documentation to be filed digitally. The package also adds statutorily required annual driving-under-the-influence (DUI) training to in-service requirements, clarifies that true/false test items are disallowed except where a manufacturer’s certification dictates the format, and aligns hours and strategic-plan requirements for basic academies.
Commissioners debated key policy points during the hearing: some expressed concern that a point-based approach could make it easier for out-of-state officers to transition to Tennessee without sufficient local training, while staff said the method is designed to be objective and to avoid the impractical task of locating decades-old curricula. On part-time/reserve officers, commissioners discussed the statutory 20‑hour/week threshold for part-time classification and noted that any change to that threshold would require a statutory amendment by the General Assembly. No written public comments had been received by staff at the time of the hearing.
The commission voted to move the proposal forward and keep the public comment period open through 5 p.m. Central on Jan. 23, 2026. If no substantive changes are made after the comment period, staff will forward the rules to the Attorney General for review, then to the Secretary of State for publication; a 90‑day effective period would begin after filing. Commissioners said staff will return with any proposed amendments after the comment period and with implementation guidance as needed.
