(a) When a warrant is sworn before any general sessions judge or any indictment returned by a grand jury, charging any person with a felonious crime and the person has absconded beyond the borders of this state, and on authority of the district attorney general, then the county mayor of the county in which the crime has been committed shall pay to the sheriff or to one (1) officer named by the district attorney general of the county who has gone for the person the same mileage allowance received by a state employee using a personal vehicle for the convenience of the state in accordance with the comprehensive travel regulations promulgated by the commissioner of finance and administration and approved by the attorney general and reporter for each mile necessarily traveled in going and coming, both inside and outside the state of Tennessee, and reasonable expenses for meals and lodging. The person so designated shall be known as the “demanding agent,” and shall be empowered to contract with another person to accompany the demanding agent on the trip and to serve as guard, the person having been first approved in writing by the authorities who appointed the demanding agent. Only the demanding agent shall be paid the mileage allowance, as provided in this subsection (a), with only the actual expenses of the guard being paid. When the guard travels with the demanding agent in the personal automobile of the demanding agent, or in any automobile belonging to any political subdivision or agency, no allowance will be granted the guard for transportation expense, and when commercial transportation is used, then only the actual cost of fare.

(b) The demanding agent shall be reimbursed the actual money expended by the demanding agent for transportation costs of the fugitive with no reimbursement being allowed when the fugitive is returned in the personal automobile of the demanding agent and only actual cost of fare for the fugitive when a commercial carrier is used. The demanding agent shall further be reimbursed reasonable expenses of meals and lodging for the fugitive, plus any and all costs, paid by the agent, that are imposed by the responding state as a prerequisite to release of custody of the fugitive to the demanding agent.

(c) Upon the sheriff's or named officer's return, the sheriff or officer shall give to each official named in this section an itemized statement supported with receipts for each item of expense and make a sworn affidavit covering all expenditures. The receipt of the sheriff or named officer so returning the fugitive charged with a felonious crime shall be a voucher for the amount thereof of the chair of the board of county commissioners in the sheriff's settlement with the county; provided, that no designation by the county mayor shall be necessary to authorize the sheriff or named officer to act and draw pay under this section, and that the county mayor shall have no power to designate any person. The officers named by the district attorney general of the county shall not exceed two (2); one (1) to be designated as demanding agent and one (1) to be designated as guard, for each fugitive returned under this section.

(d) In this section, “reasonable expenses” are determined to be in close cost proximity as allowed state employees in the pamphlet, “State of Tennessee — Comprehensive Travel Regulations.”

(e) This section shall apply only when the case is actually tried by a jury, or the defendant pleads guilty.

(f) All sums paid by any county or the county mayor, to the sheriff or named officer for returning an absconding felon shall be certified to the clerk of the criminal court of the county and all sums then to be assessed as part of the costs of the court in the case.