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SB 245

District Attorneys - As enacted, expands the proceedings for which a district attorney general pro tem may be appointed to include certain civil proceedings; declares meetings of the district attorneys general conference to be open meetings except for meetings related to certain matters; specifies that the executive director of the district attorneys general conference must provide legal counsel and advice to district attorneys general and their staff and that the legal counsel and advice may be provided by attorneys employed with the district attorneys general conference. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 7, Part 1 and Title 8, Chapter 7, Part 3.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Ferrell Haile

Tennessee law expands temporary prosecutor appointments to civil cases, mandates open prosecutorial conference meetings with exceptions, and centralizes legal support through the state DA conference office.

Pub. Ch. 312
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Bill Summary · SB 245

Legislative bill overview

SB 245 expands when temporary district attorneys can be appointed to include civil proceedings (not just criminal), requires the District Attorneys General Conference to hold open meetings with limited exceptions, and establishes that the conference's executive director must provide legal counsel to district attorneys and their staff.

Why is this important

This bill affects the operational structure and transparency of Tennessee's prosecutorial system. Expanding temporary prosecutor appointments to civil cases could affect case handling capacity, while the open meetings requirement increases public oversight of prosecutorial coordination. The legal counsel provision clarifies funding and responsibility for supporting DA offices statewide.

Potential points of contention

  • Resource allocation: Expanded use of temporary prosecutors in civil cases may strain budgets or raise questions about whether part-time prosecutors can adequately handle complex civil litigation
  • Transparency limits: While meetings are generally open, the bill allows closed sessions for "certain matters," which leaves undefined what topics could be discussed privately and potentially undermines the transparency intent
  • Centralized legal authority: Concentrating legal counsel through the conference executive director could either improve consistency across DA offices or create bottlenecks and reduce local prosecutorial independence depending on implementation

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

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