§ 3-1-101 Composition
§ 3-1-102 Composition of state senatorial districts
§ 3-1-103 Composition of state house of representative districts
§ 3-1-104 Residence requirements – Counties electing two or more direct representatives
§ 3-1-105 Oaths of office
§ 3-1-106 Expense and mileage allowances
§ 3-1-107 Salaries
§ 3-1-108 Joint convention for state-of-the-state address
§ 3-1-109 Office space, equipment, and supplies
§ 3-1-110 Business or occupation participation not part-time or temporary
§ 3-1-111 Official flag of the general assembly
§ 3-1-112 Toll-free telephone service to the general assembly – Access for the deaf
§ 3-1-113 Purchases of computer equipment by members
§ 3-1-114 Reporting requirement satisfied by notice to legislators of publication of report
§ 3-1-115 Orientation on ethics laws and rules for general assembly members
§ 3-1-116 Group health insurance not applicable to certain members of general assembly – Exceptions
§ 3-1-117 Use of electronic signatures for request to convene for extraordinary session
§ 3-1-118 Open meetings – Exceptions – Enforcement
§ 3-1-119 Statement disclosing contributions and expenditures for each caucus of the general assembly – Maintenance of caucus records and accounts
§ 3-1-120 Mass mailings sent within thirty days of an election
§ 3-1-121 Tennessee Legislative Record
§ 3-1-122 Forwarding of former general assembly member’s e-mail
§ 3-1-123 Filing of report with legislative reference and law library and office of the speaker of the house of representatives

Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 3 > Chapter 1 > Part 1 - General Provisions

  • advertising: means every kind of conveying to the public notice of sale or notice of intention to conduct a sale, whether by word of mouth, newspaper advertising, magazine advertisement, handbill, written notice, printed notice, printed display, billboard display, poster, radio announcement, and, any and all means including oral, written or printed. See Tennessee Code 6-55-401
  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Affiliate: means :
    (A)
    (i) Any person who, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns, controls or holds the power to vote fifteen percent (15%) or more of the outstanding voting securities or other voting ownership interest of a TNInvestco or insurance company. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Agriculture: means :
    (i) The land, buildings and machinery used in the commercial production of farm products and nursery stock. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Allocation date: means the date on which investment tax credits under §. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Alternate delegate: means an individual elected as an alternate delegate as provided by this chapter. See Tennessee Code 3-18-102
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • 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.
  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Article V convention: means a convention for proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States called for by the states under Article V of the Constitution of the United States. See Tennessee Code 3-18-102
  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Associated municipality: means the municipality for the benefit of which an energy acquisition corporation is organized. See Tennessee Code 7-39-102
  • Base investment amount: means fourteen million dollars ($14,000,000) in the case of a qualified TNInvestco receiving one (1) allocation of tax credits and twenty eight million dollars ($28,000,000) in the case of a qualified TNInvestco receiving two (2) allocations of tax credits, which must be available in cash or cash equivalents immediately following the investment by a TNInvestco's participating investors and its owners. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Bid bond: means a bond conditioned upon the entering into a contract by a bidder, if the bidder receives the award thereof, and furnishing the prescribed payment bond and performance bond. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • bingo: means a specific game of chance in which participants use cards or paper sheets divided into horizontal and vertical spaces, each of which is designated by a letter and a number, and prizes are awarded on the basis of the letters and numbers on the card conforming to a predetermined and preannounced configuration of letters and numbers selected at random. See Tennessee Code 3-17-102
  • Board: as used in this part , means a board of waterworks and/or sewerage commissioners as required and authorized in this section, constituted and appointed as provided in §. See Tennessee Code 7-35-406
  • Bonds: means bonds, notes, interim certificates or other obligations of a corporation issued pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 7-39-102
  • Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
  • Chambers: A judge's office.
  • Charter: means a document containing a unified government structure, pursuant to this chapter, that constitutes the fundamental law of the unified government. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • Charter commission: means a commission established to propose the charter to the voters for adoption as provided in this chapter. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • City: means any city or territory to be incorporated that may adopt chapters 30-36 of this title. See Tennessee Code 6-30-102
  • City legislative body: means the city council, board of mayor and aldermen or other body possessing the legislative power and authority of the government of a municipality. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • Collector: includes any person entrusted with the collection of public revenue. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Commission: means the state building commission. See Tennessee Code 4-15-107
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of economic and community development. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner or such official designated by the city ordinance, to be appointed by the municipality. See Tennessee Code 6-55-401
  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Costs: means cost of labor, materials, equipment necessary to complete an improvement, land, easements, and other necessary expenses connected with an improvement, including preliminary and other surveys, inspections of the work, engineers' fees and costs, attorneys' fees, fiscal agents' fees, preparation of plans and specifications, publication expenses, interest that may become due on bonds before collection of the first improvement assessments, a reasonable allowance for unforeseen contingencies, and other costs of financing. See Tennessee Code 7-33-301
  • County: means any county whose voters have adopted a county charter government. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • County: means the county in which any such city or territory to be incorporated under chapters 30-36 of this title is located, or in which the major portion of the population of any such city or territory to be incorporated is located as indicated by the last federal census. See Tennessee Code 6-30-102
  • County legislative body: means that body vested by either the county charter or general law with the legislative powers of the county government. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Delegate: means an individual elected as provided by this chapter to represent Tennessee at an Article V convention. See Tennessee Code 3-18-102
  • Department: means the department of economic and community development. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
  • Designated capital: means an amount of money that is invested by a participating investor in a qualified TNInvestco. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Director: means the director of the office of business enterprise. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Disability: means a physical impairment that, in the written opinion of a person's licensed physician, substantially limits one (1) or more of the major life activities of such person and is expected to continue to exist for more than five (5) years. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Disadvantaged business: means a business that is solely owned, or at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the outstanding stock of which is owned, by a person who is either:
    (A) By reason of social background unable to obtain technical, business or financial assistance of a quality or quantity similar to that available to the average business. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Economic development agreement: includes , but is not limited to, leases or other agreements with private entities under the industrial development program provided in title 7, chapter 53, and redevelopment plans and agreements containing tax increment financing provisions authorized under title 13, chapter 20, including development authorities created by private act, as authorized pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 4-17-102
  • End date profit share percentage: means a fee paid to the state by a qualified TNInvestco as provided in §. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • energy acquisition corporation: means a public corporation formed under this chapter, which shall be a public instrumentality of its associated municipality and of the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 7-39-102
  • Energy distribution system: means a system for the distribution of natural gas or electric power that is owned or operated by a municipality or any board or agency of the municipality. See Tennessee Code 7-39-102
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • 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.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Governing body: means , with respect to a municipality that is an associated municipality of, or purchaser of gas from, an acquisition corporation established to exercise the powers described in this chapter with respect to natural gas and natural gas substitutes, any board, commission or other instrumentality of such municipality having jurisdiction, control and management of the gas distribution system of that municipality, and, with respect to a municipality that is an associated municipality of, or purchaser of electrical power from, an acquisition corporation established to exercise the powers described in this chapter with respect to electrical power, any board, commission or other instrumentality of such municipality having jurisdiction, control and management of the electrical power distribution system of that municipality. See Tennessee Code 7-39-102
  • Governing body: means the board or body in which the general legislative powers of a municipality are vested. See Tennessee Code 7-33-301
  • Highway: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • House of representatives: means the house of representatives of the general assembly. See Tennessee Code 3-18-102
  • Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
  • Improvement: means the construction, installation or substantial reconstruction of sanitary sewers. See Tennessee Code 7-33-301
  • Improvement assessment: means an assessment made each year against benefited property to pay the costs of an improvement, in the proportion that the assessed value of each parcel or lot of benefited property bears to the total assessed value of all benefited property according to the latest assessments of such property for purposes of municipal property taxation or as provided by this part. See Tennessee Code 7-33-301
  • In the line of duty: means in the course of employment and in the actual discharge of the duties of the position. See Tennessee Code 4-1-501
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Inspector: means an inspector of the department of licenses. See Tennessee Code 6-55-401
  • Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. Source: OCC
  • Investment period: means the period January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
  • Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
  • 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.
  • Lands: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • License: means a license issued pursuant to this part. See Tennessee Code 6-55-401
  • Licensee: means any person to whom a license has been issued pursuant to this part. See Tennessee Code 6-55-401
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • local government: means any county, metropolitan government, municipality or other political subdivision of this state. See Tennessee Code 4-30-102
  • major life activities: means caring for oneself and performing manual tasks, which includes writing, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, and breathing. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Major maintenance: means the repair or renovation of a building or structure or a portion thereof in which this state or a department, institution, or agency thereof has an interest and that:
    (A) Is being funded by direct appropriations for major maintenance. See Tennessee Code 4-15-107
  • Metropolitan government: means the political entity created by consolidation of all, or substantially all, of the political and corporate functions of a county and a city or cities. See Tennessee Code 7-1-101
  • Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Minority-owned business: means a business that is wholly owned, or at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the assets or outstanding stock of which is owned, by one (1) or more individuals who are members of any racial or ethnic minority within the state and whose management and daily business operations are under the control of one (1) or more members of any racial or ethnic minority within the state. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Month: means a calendar month. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Municipal corporation: means any incorporated city or town in this state and any utility district created pursuant to chapter 82 of this title. See Tennessee Code 7-35-401
  • Municipality: means an incorporated city or town located within the boundaries of a county whose voters have adopted a county charter government. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • Municipality: means any county, incorporated city, town or metropolitan government, utility district, energy acquisition corporation or gas, electric or energy authority in this state. See Tennessee Code 7-39-102
  • Municipality: means any incorporated city or any incorporated town. See Tennessee Code 6-55-401
  • Municipality: means incorporated city or town. See Tennessee Code 7-33-301
  • Municipally-owned: means owned by a municipality as defined in this chapter. See Tennessee Code 7-39-102
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • Oath: includes affirmation. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Obligee: means :
    (A) In the case of a bid bond, the person requesting bids for the performance of a contract. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Officer: means the mayor, aldermen, city attorney and city judge. See Tennessee Code 6-1-101
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • Paired delegate: means the delegate with whom an alternate delegate is paired as provided by this chapter. See Tennessee Code 3-18-102
  • Participating investor: means any insurance company required to pay the gross premiums tax pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Payment bond: means a bond conditioned upon the payment by the principal of money to persons under contract with the principal. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Performance bond: means a bond conditioned upon the completion by the principal of a contract in accordance with its terms. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Person: means any natural person or entity, including, but not limited to, a corporation, general or limited partnership, trust or limited liability company. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
  • Prime contractor: means the person with whom the obligee has contracted to perform the contract. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Principal: means :
    (i) In the case of a bid bond, a person bidding for the award of a contract. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Principal city: means that municipality having the largest population of any municipality in a particular county. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • Profit share percentage: means a fee paid to the state by a qualified TNInvestco as provided in §. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Program end date: means December 31, 2024. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Project for a private purpose: includes , but is not limited to:
    (a) Any commercial project, commercial subdivision, private residence or residential subdivision that is owned by a nonpublic entity. See Tennessee Code 7-35-401
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • property to be benefited: means , as determined by the governing body, land, excluding improvement, that is within a reasonable distance from a sanitary sewer and to which is made available a means of drainage for sewage, or that abuts on a street or other public way to be improved. See Tennessee Code 7-33-301
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • Qualified business: means a business that is independently owned and operated and meets all of the following requirements:
    (i) It is headquartered in this state, its principal business operations are located in this state, and at least sixty percent (60%) of its employees are located in this state. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Qualified investment: means the investment of cash by a qualified TNInvestco in a qualified business for the purchase of equity, equity options, warrants, or debt convertible to equity. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
  • Renovation: means the change in the functional use or operation of space in existing buildings or structures in which the state of Tennessee or any of its departments, institutions or agencies have an interest. See Tennessee Code 4-15-107
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • 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
  • Road: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Sales: means the sale or any offer to sell to the public goods, wares and merchandise of any and all kinds and descriptions on hand and in stock in connection with a declared purpose, as set forth by advertising, on the part of the seller that such sale is anticipatory to the termination, closing, liquidation, revision, windup, discontinuance, conclusion or abandonment of the business in connection with such sale. See Tennessee Code 6-55-401
  • Sanitary sewer: means an underground conduit for the passage of a sewer, and pumping stations, pressure lines, and outlets where deemed necessary. See Tennessee Code 7-33-301
  • Secretary: means the secretary of state or the secretary of state's authorized representative. See Tennessee Code 3-17-102
  • Seed or early stage investment: means an investment in a company that has a product or service in testing or pilot production that may or may not be commercially available. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Senate: means the senate of the general assembly. See Tennessee Code 3-18-102
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Sewerage system: means all or any part of the following:
    (A) The collecting system. See Tennessee Code 7-35-401
  • 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
  • Smaller city: means any municipality within a county other than the principal city. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • 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
  • State premium tax liability: means any liability incurred by an insurance company under §. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Subcontractor: means a person who has contracted with a prime contractor or with another subcontractor to perform a contract. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Surety: means the person who:
    (A) Under the terms of a bid bond, undertakes to pay a sum of money to the obligee in the event the principal breaches the conditions of the bond. See Tennessee Code 4-26-102
  • Surviving next of kin: means the following persons in the order named:
    (A) The surviving spouse. See Tennessee Code 4-1-501
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • TNInvestco: means a partnership, corporation, trust or limited liability company, whether organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis that completes the application process in §. See Tennessee Code 4-28-102
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • unified: means consolidation or consolidated pursuant to this chapter and that power granted by the Constitution of Tennessee, Article XI, §. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • Unified government: means the governmental entity created by the unification of the governmental and corporate functions of a charter county government with the governmental and corporate functions of one (1) or more municipalities within that county's boundaries. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • Unified municipality: means a former municipality that has merged into a unified government pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 7-21-104
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
  • Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
  • Waterworks system: means all or any part of the following:
    (A) Source of supply. See Tennessee Code 7-35-401
  • Works: means the waterworks or sewerage system. See Tennessee Code 7-35-401
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105