HOUSE BILL NO. 1491

By Representatives Chumney, Ridgeway

Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 1076

By Senator Haynes

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, relative to disclosure statements of conflicts of interest.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 1, is amended by adding a new section thereto, as follows:

Section ___. No employee in the career service under Title 8, Chapter 30, shall be required by the appointing authority to submit a disclosure statement or any financial disclosure statement, unless such employee or a member of the employee's immediate family has a financial interest with a value of more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) which would constitute a conflict of interest or a potential conflict of interest under state law or the Department of Personnel's policy or other departmental policy.

Disclosure to the immediate supervisor is required at the time an assignment is received which could result in a conflict. The immediate supervisor would then determine if a conflict exists which warrants reassignment of that task to another employee.

Disclosures provided for in this section shall apply to any employee or person whose duties are to regulate, inspect, audit or procure goods or services or to administer tax laws. Disclosures are required for individuals who have authority over these persons or these functions.

The appointing authority has responsibility for clearly communicating these provisions in writing to agency employees upon hiring and annually thereafter.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.