Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 23 and Title 70.

This bill allows wildlife resource officers to pay membership dues to TWRA through payroll deductions, as discussed below.<br /> <br /> Under present law, any employee of a state agency may authorize payroll deductions for the payment of membership dues and benefit premiums to an employee association, if the employee association meets certain criteria.<br /> <br /> This bill permits any wildlife resource officer of the Tennessee wildlife resources agency (TWRA) to authorize payroll deductions for the payment of membership dues to an officers association of the TWRA, if the officers association meets the following criteria:<br /> <br /> (1) It solicits membership from all wildlife resource officers of the TWRA;<br /> (2) It grants the same rights and privileges of membership to all its members;<br /> (3) It provides equal services to its members; and<br /> (4) It has a membership of no less than 20 percent of the currently employed wildlife resource officers of the TWRA.<br /> <br /> ON APRIL 8, 2019, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 342, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 adds a requirement that membership dues collected by payroll deduction under this bill must not be used for political activities. This amendment also adds that an association that meets the criteria of this bill and that seeks to accept the payment of membership dues through payroll deductions must file with the commissioner of finance and administration a statement that includes the specific number of wildlife officers employed by the TWRA who are members of the association. This amendment prohibits the department of finance and administration from making a final decision regarding an association's eligibility to receive automatic payroll deductions until the association is audited and approved by the comptroller of the treasury to accept the payment of membership dues.<br /> <br />