(a) As used in this section:

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 62-76-106

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • 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
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) “Honorably discharged veteran” means any person who has been honorably discharged from the army, navy, air force, marine corps, or coast guard, or any person who has been honorably discharged from a reserve component as defined in 10 U.S.C. § 10101, having performed active federal service in the armed forces of the United States;
(2) “Licensing authority” means a state board, agency, or commission, attached to the division of regulatory boards, as listed in § 4-3-1304(a), with the authority to impose training, education, or licensure fees to practice in an occupation regulated under this title; and
(3) “Member of the armed forces” means a member of the United States armed forces or a member of a reserve or Tennessee national guard unit who is in, or was called into, active service or active military service of the United States, as defined in § 58-1-102.
(b) Members of the United States armed forces and persons who are honorably discharged veterans are eligible to receive equivalent credit toward the receipt of an occupational license regulated under this title relating to the training received while serving in the armed forces if the training is consistent with requirements for licensure as determined by the applicable licensing authority. In order to receive credit in accordance with this subsection (b), the member of the armed forces or honorably discharged veteran must submit to the applicable licensing authority as evidence of training a certificate from:

(1) The United States department of defense; or
(2) The United States department of veterans affairs.
(c) Any person aggrieved by a decision of a licensing authority concerning eligibility for equivalent credit under this section may appeal to the commissioner of commerce and insurance, or the commissioner’s designee, for a determination of whether the training meets the requirements for licensure. An appeal under this subsection (c) must be conducted in the same manner as is provided in § 4-5-322, for a contested case hearing under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
(d) The commissioner of commerce and insurance, in collaboration with the commissioner of veterans services, shall promulgate rules to effectuate this section. All rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act.