§ 8-50-107 — Discrimination concerning employees of local government on basis of nonresidence prohibited - First responders

(a) Notwithstanding any public law, private act, or municipal charter to the contrary, no person currently under employment with any municipality, county, or metropolitan form of government, shall be dismissed or penalized solely on the basis of nonresidence in such local government. (b) [Deleted by 2024 amendment.] (c) [Deleted by 2024 amendment.] (d) (1) Notwithstanding any law, private act, charter, resolution, or ordinance to the contrary, a local government shall not dismiss, discipline, fine, or penalize a first responder employed by a local government, or deny employment to a person applying to be a first responder, based on where the first responder or person applying to be a first responder resides. (2) As used in this subsection (d): (A) "First responder" means paid, full-time law enforcement officers, including jailers and correctional officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and dispatchers of law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical service departments. "First responder" does not mean the chief or head of the department; and (B) (i) "Local government" means a county, metropolitan government, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state; (ii) [Deleted by 2024 amendment.] (3) This subsection (d) does not affect a local agency's policies: (A) Regarding the use of a department vehicle while not on duty; or (B) That require responses by employees who, based upon their assignment, are required to respond to an emergency or call out within a specific time period.

Legislative History

Amended by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 851,s 1, eff. 5/1/2024. Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 240, s 1, eff. 4/25/2023. Amended by 2022 Tenn. Acts, ch. 720, s 1, eff. 3/24/2022. Acts 1977, ch. 52, §§ 1, 2; T.C.A., § 8-4135.