Title 7, Consolidated Governments and Local Governmental Functions and Entities

(a) Upon approval by a majority of the eligible voters within the area of the proposed district voting at such referendum, the legislative body may create an emergency communications district. (b) (1) Except as otherwise provided by law, an emergency communications district shall…

The emergency communications district so created shall be a “municipality” or public corporation in perpetuity under its corporate name, and the district shall in that name be a body politic and corporate with power of perpetual succession, but without any power to levy or collec…

(a) (1) The board of directors of the district shall create an emergency communications service designed to have the capability of utilizing at least one (1) of the following three (3) methods in response to emergency calls:(A) Direct dispatch method;(B) Relay method; or(C) Trans…

In order to provide additional funding for the district and the service, the governing body of the district may receive funds from federal, state and local government sources, as well as funds from private sources, including funds from the issuance of bonds, and may expend such f…

(a) The board of directors of each district shall cause an annual audit to be made of the books and records of the district. Within thirty (30) days after receipt by the district, a copy of the annual audit shall be filed with the clerk or recorder of the appropriate county or mu…

(a) Subject to the approval of the legislative body of a county or municipality in which a district is established, each district has the power and is hereby authorized, from time to time, to issue negotiable bonds, notes and debt obligations for lease or lease purchases in antic…

(a) There shall be and there is created a statutory lien in the nature of a mortgage lien upon any facility acquired or constructed in accordance with this part, including all extensions and improvements to the facilities or combinations of extensions and improvements to faciliti…

No holder or holders of any bonds issued pursuant to this part shall ever have the right to compel the levy of any tax to pay the bonds or the interest on the bonds. Each bond shall recite in substance that the bond and interest on the bond are payable solely from the revenue ple…

The district, and all properties at any time owned by it and the income from the properties and all bonds issued by it and the income from the bonds, shall be exempt from all taxation in the state.

(a) The board of directors of an emergency communications district may, by resolution, vote to preclude service users from programming the emergency number “911” in automatic dialers used in conjunction with security alarm systems. (b) A fine not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) …

(a) (1) Any board member, executive committee member, employee, officer, or any other authorized person of an emergency communications district, who receives public funds, has authority to make expenditures from public funds, or has access to any public funds is hereby required t…

(a) The board of each district shall adopt and operate under an annual budget. The budget shall present a financial plan for the ensuing fiscal year, including at least the following information:(1) Estimates of proposed expenditures for each department, board, office or other ag…

(a) Bonds or notes issued pursuant to this part may be sold at either public sale or private negotiated sale. (b) All revenues, including any debt obligation issued for the purpose of a lease/lease purchase, must be expended according to the County Purchasing Law of 1983, compile…

In order to provide a safe temporary medium for the investment of idle funds, emergency communications districts shall deposit and invest idle funds according to § 5-8-301.

At every regularly scheduled meeting of the board of directors, the board must be provided with a financial report of the emergency communication district's activities, in accordance with guidelines developed by the comptroller of the treasury.

No member of the board of directors shall have control or custody of the financial assets of an emergency communications district. No member of the board of directors, on such member's sole authority, may authorize the disbursement, transfer, withdrawal or investment of any finan…

(a) The board of directors of each district shall adopt comprehensive travel regulations applicable to all officers and employees of the district. The minimum regulations shall be the same as those of the appropriate county or municipality that created the district. Nothing in th…

All funds deposited with a bank or other financial institution shall be secured by collateral in the same manner and under the same conditions as state deposits under title 9, chapter 4, parts 1 and 4, or as provided in a collateral pool created under title 9, chapter 4, part 5.

(a) Unless expressly provided otherwise by law, the authority to name public and private roads and streets, including roads and streets located within residential developments, and to assign property numbers relating to the roads and streets, is exclusively vested in the legislat…

(a) (1) When a dealer collects the sales price for a retail sale of communications service or prepaid communications service from a consumer, such dealer shall collect a 911 surcharge of one dollar and sixteen cents ($1.16). Dealers shall be entitled to retain as an administrativ…

(a) Any emergency communications district may purchase equipment under the same terms of a legal bid initiated by any other district. (b) (1) Any emergency communications district may purchase directly from a vendor the same goods and equipment at the same price and under the sam…

Any 911 surcharge revenue collected in excess of the annual fiscal requirements of the board and the mandatory every two (2) months payments to emergency communications districts shall not revert to the general fund. The board shall distribute a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of …

(1) The Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations shall study and report its conclusions to the joint committee on government operations on or before September 15, 2017, regarding the following matters:(1) Whether the 911 surcharge is generating adequate revenu…

(a) The legislative body of any municipality or county is authorized by ordinance or resolution, respectively, to establish, operate and maintain an emergency communications system providing 911 service within its boundaries when funded by general revenues. (b) This chapter shall…

(a) If an emergency communications district requests fire protection services, and if a utility district providing fire protection services responds to a request for a nonsubscriber, then the emergency communications district has no liability for the cost of such service. (b) Thi…

(a) (1) Regardless of agency or governmental jurisdiction, each emergency call taker or public safety dispatcher who receives an initial or transferred 911 call from the public is subject to the training and course of study requirements established by the emergency communications…

The general assembly finds that the “Emergency Communications District Law,” compiled in part 1 of this chapter, has been successfully embraced by the vast majority of Tennessee counties, most of which have already initiated basic or enhanced 911 service and are developing or mai…

(a) There is created in the department of commerce and insurance an emergency communications board, referred to in this part as “the board”, for the purpose of assisting emergency communications district boards of directors in the areas of management, operations, and accountabili…

(a) The board's budget shall be subject to approval by the general assembly. (b) No member of the board is entitled to a salary for duties performed as a member of the board. Each member is entitled to reimbursement for travel and other necessary expenses incurred in the performa…

(a) The comptroller of the treasury is directed to develop a uniform financial accounting system conforming to generally accepted accounting principles for use as required by this section. Effective July 1, 1999, each emergency communications district shall use the uniform accoun…

(a) As a means to restore financial stability to financially distressed emergency communications districts and to ensure continued 911 service for the benefit of the public, the board may study the possible consolidation or merger of two (2) or more adjacent emergency communicati…

(a) In order to effectuate the purposes of this part, the board has the power and authority to:(1) Promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, for the conduct of the affairs of the board;(2) Adopt …

(a) The board shall develop and implement a plan for providing 911 service and wireless enhanced 911 service to all citizens of Tennessee. The plan shall provide for:(1) A schedule for the implementation, installation, operation, maintenance, and enhancement of statewide wireless…

The board shall appoint a technical advisory committee, the number of members to be determined by the board. The technical advisory committee shall be composed of representatives of 911 service suppliers and non-wireline service providers, including, but not limited to, commercia…

The board shall appoint advisory committees for the purpose of providing and receiving information to the board; the number of members on such committees shall be determined by the board. Such committees may include, but not be limited to, local government officials, consumers, 9…

After May 20, 1998, no referendum to allow the creation of a new emergency communications district within the boundaries of an existing emergency communications district shall take place without prior approval by the board. In the event that the board determines that such a creat…

(a) In each county in which an emergency communications district has not been created by January 1, 2000, the board shall order an election to be held at the next regularly scheduled general election, pursuant to § 2-3-204, to submit to the voters of the county the question of cr…

Any city or county governing body may, by resolution, request the board to review a decision of the board of directors of the emergency communications district serving such city or county affecting its financial standing and its level or quality of 911 service.

Any county or city governing body may, by resolution, request the board to review the financial statements of an emergency communications district serving such county or city. If the board determines that such district is accumulating excess reserves or retained earnings, and if …

(a) (1) Effective July 1, 2017, any member of the board of directors of an emergency communications district with four (4) consecutive unexcused absences or who fails to attend at least fifty percent (50%) of regularly scheduled meetings within any twelve-month period shall autom…

The board shall report annually to the governor and the speakers of the general assembly on the activities of the board for the preceding year. The board shall receive and consider from any source whatsoever, whether private or governmental, suggestions for amendments to this cha…

(a) Contacting 911 for some purpose other than to report an emergency or an event that the person contacting 911 reasonably believes to be an emergency is a Class C misdemeanor. (b) (1) Aggravated nonemergency contact of 911 is contacting 911 as described in subsection (a) where:…

Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the board shall promulgate rules and regulations to safeguard proprietary information submitted to the board. Such rules and regulations shall be consistent with determinations, actions, customs, and practices of the Tennessee regula…

Nothing in this part shall be construed to constitute the regulation of the entry or of rates charged by CMRS providers for any service or feature that they provide to their CMRS customers, or to prohibit a CMRS provider from charging a CMRS subscriber for any service or feature …

A commercial mobile radio service provider shall not have any greater responsibility or duty to its customers or other persons with respect to 911 calls and the operation of a 911 system than does a noncommercial mobile radio service provider to its customers or other persons.

(a) If a provider of an IP-enabled service offers 911 or E911 services and such provider complies with federal communication commission Order #05-116, adopted May 19, 2005, that provider, its officers, directors, employees, vendors, and agents, shall have immunity or other protec…