House Bill 1698, also known as Senate Bill 1721, introduces new provisions to the Tennessee Code Annotated regarding the accountability of executive branch employees when providing material statements to legislative committees. The bill allows committee chairs to require these employees to offer such statements under oath, with penalties for perjury if they submit false information. Additionally, the executive director of the fiscal review committee is mandated to obtain an affidavit from executive branch employees attesting to the truthfulness of their statements related to fiscal impacts of legislative measures. If there is reasonable suspicion of false statements, the committee chair or executive director must notify the appropriate legislative speakers, who may then refer the matter to the district attorney general for prosecution.

The bill also amends existing laws to clarify that perjury committed under these new provisions is classified as a Class C misdemeanor. This legislation aims to enhance the integrity of the legislative process by ensuring that statements made by executive branch employees are truthful and can be legally enforced. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 3-3-121, 39-16-702(b), 39-16-702