(a) The commissioner of safety is authorized to issue a subpoena for valid law enforcement purposes to an institution of higher education in this state to compel the production of the following information with regard to nonimmigrant students possessing either an F-1 or M-1 student visa for instruction at the institution:

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 4-3-2008

  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
(1) The number of nonimmigrant students enrolled at the institution at the beginning of a period of study;
(2) The number of nonimmigrant students enrolled at the institution at the end of a period of study; and
(3) The name and address of the nonimmigrant students who were enrolled at the beginning of the period of study but were not enrolled at the end of the period of study.
(b) The commissioner has the discretion to include, in a subpoena issued under this section, a directive that the existence or contents of the subpoena or the information furnished in response to the subpoena is not to be disclosed by the institution to the students whose names and addresses are released to the commissioner.
(c) As used in this section:

(1) “Institution” means a college, university, seminary, vocational or technical school, or any other entity that offers a postsecondary course of study. “Institution” does not include elementary, middle, or secondary schools; and
(2) “Period of study” means a quarter, semester, or the duration of a program that is not otherwise divided.