Tennessee House Bill HB0497

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/29/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 7, relative to compensation of public employees.

Summary

HB0497 amends Tennessee law governing expense accounts for certain public employees in Title 8, Chapter 7. Under current law, if a person fails to comply with the reporting requirements for the expense account, the account is disallowed and not paid. The bill changes that rule so the expense account must not be paid unless the assistant district attorney general or criminal investigator submits the account with an explanation for the late filing within five days after the end of the month. In practical terms, the bill creates a limited grace period for late submission of expense accounts by assistant district attorneys general and criminal investigators. It does not change the underlying obligation to file the expense account, but it allows payment to proceed when a late filing is promptly explained and cured within the specified five-day window. The act takes effect June 30, 2025.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-7-202(b), affecting compensation-related expense account procedures for assistant district attorneys general and criminal investigators. It softens the existing mandatory disallowance rule by permitting payment of a late expense account if the required explanation is submitted within five days after month-end, thereby modifying administrative compliance and payroll/expense processing for these public employees.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the available materials. Based on the text alone, the bill appears procedural and narrowly tailored, suggesting a generally administrative rather than controversial purpose.

Contention

The only apparent point of contention is whether late expense-account submissions should remain an automatic bar to payment or whether a short cure period should be allowed. Any concern would likely come from those favoring strict compliance and timely reporting versus those supporting flexibility for assistant district attorneys general and criminal investigators when filings are late but explained promptly.