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SB 812

District Attorneys - As introduced, allows an assistant district attorney general to receive year-for-year service credit for prior law enforcement experience upon recommendation of the hiring district attorney general and subject to the approval of the executive director of the district attorneys general conference; defines prior law enforcement experience as full-time employment with a law enforcement agency as a POST-certified law enforcement officer; requires an employment record from the law enforcement agency to be used to establish the law enforcement experience. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 7.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Tom Hatcher

Tennessee law allows assistant district attorneys to gain retirement service credit for prior law enforcement experience, subject to DA and conference approval, increasing pension costs.

Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
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Bill Summary · SB 812

Legislative bill overview

SB 812 allows assistant district attorneys in Tennessee to receive service credit toward retirement benefits for prior law enforcement work, if their hiring district attorney recommends it and the district attorneys conference approves. The credit applies only to full-time employment as a POST-certified law enforcement officer, verified through official employment records.

Why is this important

This affects retirement eligibility and benefits for prosecutors who previously worked in law enforcement. It may make prosecutor positions more attractive to experienced officers and could influence hiring patterns in district attorney offices across Tennessee.

Potential points of contention

  • Fiscal impact: Granting service credit increases retirement liability for the state pension system, with costs potentially shifting to taxpayers or other state programs
  • Equity concerns: Only benefits prosecutors with law enforcement backgrounds; other assistant DAs without that experience receive no comparable advantage
  • Approval process: Gives significant gatekeeping power to individual district attorneys and the conference, creating potential inconsistency across districts and opportunities for patronage

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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