Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Senate committee sends constable‑training bill to summer study after questions about cost and access
Loading...
Summary
After extended debate and questions about costs, access and whether the bill requires POST certification, the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee adopted a finance amendment to SB 2645 and voted to refer the measure to summer study with recommendations back to the committee.
Senate Bill 2645, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Roberts, was the focus of an extended committee exchange over whether the bill would require POST certification for constables and how training and psychological‑evaluation requirements would be paid for.
The bill would require anyone seeking election or appointment as a constable to graduate from a POST‑approved law enforcement training academy (a certificate of completion), but—sponsors and staff emphasized—would not require individuals to obtain POST certification that accompanies paid, ongoing law‑enforcement employment. "It doesn't require them to be POST certified. Those are two entirely different things," Sen. Roberts said in opening remarks, adding that the change is intended to "make the profession more professional" while grandfathering current constables.
Why it matters: committee members pressed sponsors on access, cost and the real duties of constables. Representative Lowell Russell, the House sponsor, told the committee that the academy is a 12‑week, roughly 488‑hour program and that community colleges and a forthcoming state "mega center" provide locations. He also said that existing constables would be grandfathered and that Post offered grant support or other financial options such as Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect to reduce costs for trainees.
Concerns and back‑and‑forth: multiple senators warned the training and psychological evaluation could deter future candidates for what are often unpaid or part‑time positions. "Adding other requirements to a position that is not paid, we're going to see fewer constables," Sen. Hensley said, announcing he would vote no. Committee members also asked legal counsel to clarify the statutory scope of constables' law‑enforcement authority; Megan Moore of legal services explained that some constables only serve process while others may have law‑enforcement powers conferred by specific statutes.
Committee action and next steps: the committee adopted finance amendment drafting code 13473, which sponsors said adjusts the bill and clarifies the mental‑health evaluation language. After debate about whether to vote on final passage or seek more input, the committee voted to send SB 2645 to summer study with a request that committees bring back recommendations to Finance for its consideration next year. The motion for summer study passed by voice vote.
What the record shows: sponsors and advocates repeatedly said the measure does not require POST certification and that current constables would be grandfathered; the committee asked staff to produce more specific fiscal detail about training‑grant mechanics and whether programs would be POST‑approved for online delivery. The bill's further progress will depend on recommendations produced during the summer study period.
Ending: The committee left the bill in summer study status with instructions to return recommendations for the next legislative session.
