agency: means and only where the context requires in any other provision of law, a place or facility, regardless of whether it is currently licensed, that is operated as a family child care home, a group child care home, a child care center, or a drop-in center, as those terms are defined in this part, or that provides child care for five (5) or more children who are not related to the primary caregiver for three (3) or more hours per day. See Tennessee Code 71-3-501
Child care: means the provision of supervision and protection, and, at a minimum, meeting the basic needs, of a child or children for less than twenty-four (24) hours a day. See Tennessee Code 71-3-501
children: means a person or persons under eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 71-3-501
Commissioner: means the chief administrative officer in charge of the department of human services. See Tennessee Code 71-3-501
Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. 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
(1) A child careagency licensing board of review shall review:
(A) Actions initiated by the departments of human services and children‘s services to deny or revoke or to otherwise limit any license except for summary suspension of, or probation involving, a license;(B) Actions to review any civil penalties imposed by the department of human services; or(C) Any safety plan implemented by the department of human services that will be, or has been in effect ninety (90) days or more.(2)(A) In reviewing any licensing action pursuant to this part or pursuant to title 37, chapter 5, part 5, the board of review shall consist of nine (9) persons. Five (5) members of the board shall include the commissioners of health and education or their designees, the executive director of the commission on children and youth or designee, and a member from one (1) current or previous standards committee from the departments of human services and children’s services. Four (4) persons shall be selected from a pool of up to twelve (12) representatives at-large to be selected by the five (5) stated board members, as follows:
(i) Four (4) shall be selected to serve for one (1) year;(ii) Four (4) shall be selected to serve for two (2) years; and(iii) Four (4) shall be selected to serve for three (3) years.(B) Thereafter, each at-large representative shall be selected to serve for terms of three (3) years or until such representative’s successor is selected.(b) A quorum of the board shall consist of five (5) persons.(c) In establishing a quorum for the board to conduct its review of the licensing actions of the departments, the chair shall randomly select the names of the at-large members of the board for the board’s current licensing review action from the pool of twelve (12) persons selected pursuant to subsection (a) until the nine-member composition is reached or, if that is not possible, until a quorum is reached.(d) The commissioner of education or the commissioner’s designee shall serve as the chair of the board until a chair is selected by the board. The board shall elect a vice chair who shall serve in the absence of the chair. If the chair resigns, is unable to perform the duties of the chair or is removed, or the chair’s term on the board expires, the commissioner of education shall appoint a new chair until the board can elect a chair. The vice chair shall have authority to sign all orders of the board in the absence of the chair and for actions of the panels under subsection (f).(e) The recording secretary for the board shall be a member of the professional staff of the department of human services based upon an inter-agency agreement for the services of the recording secretary as the commissioners of children’s services and human services may deem appropriate, and any person selected by the agreement of the departments shall serve as recording secretary for the board. The recording secretary shall be responsible for scheduling the board’s meetings and arranging for the facilities to conduct the hearings of the board for both departments and such other duties as may be necessary to accommodate the business of the board. The recording secretary shall serve without additional compensation from the department.(f) In order to complete the work of the board, the chair may appoint one (1) or more panels of the board with a quorum of five (5) members, at least two (2) of whom shall be randomly selected at-large members selected by the chair. The chair of the board shall appoint the chair of the panel. The panel shall have complete authority to hear any case under the board’s jurisdiction and shall have complete authority to enter any necessary orders concerning licensing actions conducted before the board of review. Any orders of the panel shall be signed by the chair of the panel, or by the board chair or vice chair.(g) Any necessary regulations governing the board’s procedure shall be promulgated by the department of human services, in consultation with the department of children’s services, in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, part 2.(h) Any applicant or licensee may petition the chancery court of Davidson County pursuant to § 4-5-322 for judicial review of the board’s decision.(i)(1) All members of the review board shall serve without pay.(2) The four (4) members at-large who are selected to serve on the board and the members from the standards committees of the departments shall receive reimbursement in conformity with law and regulations for their expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties pursuant to this part. Such expenses for the representatives from the standards committees from the respective department shall be paid from the funds appropriated to the departments.(3) The expenses for the at-large members shall be shared equally by the departments of children’s services and human services.(4) All reimbursement for travel expenses shall be in accordance with the comprehensive state travel regulations applicable to state employees.
