House Bill 1931, also known as Senate Bill 2043, amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated to enhance the budgeting authority of sheriffs in counties with a charter form of government. The bill stipulates that the county legislative body cannot adopt a budget that reduces the sheriff's budget for personnel salaries, benefits, or necessary operational expenditures below the previous fiscal year's amount unless the sheriff provides written approval for such reductions. This provision aims to ensure that sheriffs have adequate funding to fulfill their mandated duties.

Additionally, the bill modifies the existing budget amendment process for sheriff's offices. It designates the previous language as subdivision (b)(1) and introduces a new subdivision (b)(2), which allows sheriffs to approve or disapprove any budget amendments that would lower personnel, operational, or capital expenditures below the levels they proposed. Furthermore, any amendments to a sheriff's budget must receive the sheriff's written consent or, if disapproved, can only be enacted by a two-thirds vote of the entire county legislative body. This change reinforces the authority of sheriffs in budgetary matters and ensures their input in financial decisions affecting their offices.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 5-9-407(b), 5-9-407