Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 20 > Chapter 13 > Part 1 - Actions by and Against State

• 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.
• 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.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• 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
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• care providers: means the person, persons, entity or entities directly responsible for providing for the supervision, protection and basic needs of the child. See Tennessee Code 49-1-1102
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Child care: means the provision of supervision, protection and, at a minimum, the basic needs of a child or children for three (3) or more hours a day, but less than twenty-four (24) hours a day. See Tennessee Code 49-1-1102
• Child care program: means any place or facility operated by any person or entity that provides child care for children in a before or after school based program operated by a local board of education pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 49-1-1102
• Child or children: means a person or persons under eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 49-1-1102
• Code: includes the Tennessee Code and all amendments and revisions to the code and all additions and supplements to the code. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Commissioner: means the chief administrative officer in charge of the department of education. See Tennessee Code 49-1-1102
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• 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.
• County executive: means and includes "county mayor" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• County mayor: means and includes "county executive" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the department of education. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• Department: means the department of education. See Tennessee Code 49-1-1102
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Donation: means any gift or contribution of money, materials, property or securities from any nongovernmental source received by a school official or employee for the benefit of a school district, school, school club, or academic, arts, athletic or social activity related to a school. See Tennessee Code 49-2-603
• Educational entity: means the state board of education, department of education, and any other body, board, or agency that governs a public or private elementary or secondary school, and includes, but is not limited to, local education agencies and local boards of education. See Tennessee Code 49-1-1203
• Educator preparation provider: means an entity approved by the state board that is responsible for managing, operating, or coordinating programs for the preparation and licensure of teachers, school leaders, and other school personnel. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• Employee: means :
  (A) An individual who is elected or appointed to an educational entity. See Tennessee Code 49-1-1203
• 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}
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• 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.
• Foundational literacy skills: means phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• Foundational literacy skills instruction: means an evidence-based method of teaching students to read that includes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension that enables students to develop the reading skills required to meet Tennessee's academic standards. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• Foundational literacy skills plan: means a proposal that details how an LEA or public charter school plans to provide foundational literacy skills instruction to students and reading interventions and supports, which may include interventions provided pursuant to Tennessee's response to instruction and intervention framework manual, to students identified as having a significant reading deficiency. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• 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
• Home literacy report: means a report provided to a student's parent by the LEA or public charter school describing the student's progress in foundational literacy skills. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• 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.
• 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}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• 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.
• Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Month: means a calendar month. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Parent: means a child's parent or guardian. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• 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.
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Personal property: includes money, goods, chattels, things in action, and evidences of debt. 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.
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• real property: include lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative 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
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• 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
• school day: means the regular hours of operation of the school during which classes are conducted. See Tennessee Code 49-2-603
• School representative: means :
  (i) When a school support organization's primary purpose is to support a school system or an individual school:

  (a) A school board member. See Tennessee Code 49-2-603
• School support organization: means a booster club, foundation, parent teacher association, parent teacher organization, parent teacher support association, or any other nongovernmental organization or group of persons whose primary purpose is to support a school district, school, school club, or academic, arts, athletic or social activities related to a school, that collects or receives money, materials, property or securities from students, parents or members of the general public. See Tennessee Code 49-2-603
• School support organization funds: include all money, materials, property or securities raised by a school support organization or any organization that represents itself to students, parents or members of the general public to be a school support organization. See Tennessee Code 49-2-603
• 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.
• sex: means a person's immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth and evidence of a person's biological sex. 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
• Significant reading deficiency: means :
  (A) For students in kindergarten through grade three (K-3), that a student's score on a universal reading screener is within the range of scores determined by the department to demonstrate a lack of proficiency in foundational literacy skills. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• 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 board: means the state board of education. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Student activity funds: include all money received from any source for school-sponsored student activities or school-sponsored events held at or in connection with a school, and specifically include, but are not limited to, any money:
  (A) Derived from a school-sponsored academic, art, athletic or social event involving students. See Tennessee Code 49-2-603
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Tennessee universal reading screener: means the universal reading screener provided by the department. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Universal reading screener: means a uniform tool that screens and monitors a student's progress in foundational literacy skills. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
• Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
• 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