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 six‑month and administrative waivers that allow officers to delay or change academy attendance or to remain in compliance despite incomplete in‑service training from calendar year 2024. Examples taken up on the agenda included waivers for agencies and officers from Rutherford, Gallatin, Overton, Millersville, Cleveland and other counties. Several agencies asked for waivers because officers were medically unable to attend, scheduled classes were unavailable, or documentation of prior qualifications was missing.

Commissioners discussed repeated instances of missing documentation and urged agencies to correct deficiencies and avoid repeat requests. In one conversation Cleveland County’s representative said qualification records for certain deputies could not be located because a former lieutenant left and training records were not transferred; the county said it will complete qualifications during the current year.

Votes on routine waivers were called collectively in several blocks. Where recorded on the transcript, motions were seconded and commissioners responded “aye” and the chair announced the motion carried.

Votes at a glance
- Motion to adopt the meeting agenda (including addendum): approved (voice vote). Referenced at 403.755–445.785.
- Motion to accept certification‑subcommittee recommendations (April 17 and May 15 informal meetings): approved (voice vote). Referenced at 525.915–620.70996 and 645.89996–701.065.
- Motion to authorize the department to begin the rulemaking process (file notice; schedule public hearing ~52 days out): moved by Commissioner Kavras; motion and second approved (voice vote). Referenced at 2871.845–2957.635.
- Multiple hiring waivers (military discharge waivers, academy transfers and similar): approved (individual motions recorded on the transcript; see detailed items in separate articles). Referenced across 758.025–1544.87 and 1545.17–1946.6849.
- Multiple in‑service / six‑month waivers for calendar year 2024 late or missing training (examples: Cleveland County, Millersville PD, Overton County and others): approved (voice votes; some items deferred to appear in July where noted). Referenced at 1946.6849–2598.415 and 1960.62–2156.9448.

Why it matters: The rulemaking step starts a public process that could change certification, training and agency oversight rules. The hiring and in‑service waivers preserve officers’ employment status or allow them to attend different academies while leaving record requirements or training gaps to be fixed later. Commissioners repeatedly noted the legal and liability implications of missing firearms or qualifications documentation and urged agencies to complete required training.

The meeting included a number of individual personnel matters and contested certification cases that the commission handled separately (including an agreed probation for an officer and a settlement resolving a decertification matter). Those items are reported in separate articles covering each case.

Provenance (transcript excerpts supporting this article)
- topicintro: block_id="403.755" local_start=0 local_end=29 evidence_excerpt="Good morning, everyone. This is the 03/16/2025 post commission meeting about. First item on the, agenda is adoption of the agenda. And notice there is an agenda addendum under, advisory potential of the academy. We should have those handouts to add to that." reason_code="topicintro"
- topfinish: block_id="2957.635" local_start=0 local_end=23 evidence_excerpt="Motion and second. All in favor of the motion to start a loose making process. It's about the same I. Any inputs. No." reason_code="topicfinish"