House Bill 49 amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated concerning the responsibilities and operations of district attorneys general. A new subdivision is added to Section 8-7-309(a), which mandates that legal counsel and advice be provided to district attorneys general and their staff by attorneys employed with the district attorneys general conference. Additionally, a new subsection (d) is introduced, establishing that any legal counsel and advice provided under this new provision is confidential and privileged, thereby exempting related documents and communications from public records laws.

The bill also modifies the open meetings provisions applicable to the district attorneys general conference. It designates existing language in Section 8-7-302 as subsection (a) and adds a new subsection (b) that allows the executive committee and finance and audit committee to hold confidential sessions for specific matters, including litigation and audits. Furthermore, it outlines procedures for meetings that involve both public and confidential discussions, ensuring that public business is addressed first. Lastly, Section 8-7-106(b) is amended to broaden the scope of proceedings covered, replacing "specific criminal proceedings" with "specific criminal or civil proceedings," thereby expanding the types of cases that can be addressed.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 8-7-309(a), 8-7-309, 8-7-302, 8-7-106(b), 8-7-106