House Bill 808 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-24-102, by adding provisions that allow counties experiencing significant economic distress to forgo increases in compensation for county officials. The existing language is designated as subdivision (d)(1), while the new subdivision (d)(2) outlines the criteria for determining economic distress, which includes factors such as high unemployment rates and low family incomes. If a county opts to forgo the compensation increase due to economic distress, the minimum compensation for county officials will be restored to its previous level once the county is no longer in distress or when new officials take office after the next election.

The bill mandates that the Department of Economic and Community Development assess each county's economic status annually by July 1, using relevant statistical data. The act will take effect immediately for the purpose of identifying counties in economic distress, while other provisions will become effective on July 1, 2025. This legislation aims to provide flexibility in compensation for county officials in response to economic challenges faced by their communities.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 8-24-102(d), 8-24-102