Tennessee § 39-16-516 - Traffic offense citation quotas — Performance standards.

§ 39-16-516. Traffic offense citation quotas — Performance standards.

A public official or public employee shall not establish or maintain, formally or informally, a plan to evaluate, promote, compensate, or discipline a law enforcement officer solely by the issuance of a predetermined or specified number of any type or combination of types of traffic citations. A public official or public employee shall not require or suggest to a law enforcement officer that the law enforcement officer is required or expected to issue a predetermined or specified number of any type or combination of types of traffic citations within a specified period. Nothing in this section prohibits a municipal corporation, a political subdivision, or any agency of this state from establishing performance standards for law enforcement officers that include issuance of traffic citations but do not require issuance of a predetermined or specified number or any type or combination of types of citations as the sole means of meeting the performance standards. A violation of this section is a Class B misdemeanor, subject to fine only. As used in this section: “Public employee” means any person holding a position by appointment or employment in the service of a public employer; “Public employer” means: The state of Tennessee; or A county, city, town, municipality, or any other political subdivision of the state; “Public official” means a person elected to any office or entity of state or local government; and “Traffic offense” means an offense under title 55. Acts 2010, ch. 1000, § 1; 2020, ch. 801, § 1. Amendments. The 2020 amendment, in (a) and (b), substituted “A public official or public employee shall not” for “A political subdivision or any agency of this state may not”; in (c), substituted “prohibits” for “shall prohibit” and “the performance standards” for “such performance standards”; added present (d); redesignated former (d) as (e); and rewrote former (d), which read, “(d) As used in this section: “(1) ‘Conviction’ means the rendition of an order by a court imposing a punishment of incarceration or a fine; and “(2) ‘Traffic offense’ means an offense under title 55.” Effective Dates. Acts 2020, ch. 801, § 2. October 1, 2020. Cross-References. Penalty for Class B misdemeanor, § 40-35-111 .