Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 7 > Special Districts > Chapter 86 - Emergency Communications

• Agreement: means the federal-state agreement between the federal agency and the state of Tennessee entered into on August 16, 1951, as authorized by the Social Security Enabling Act for the purpose of extending coverage under Title II of the Social Security Act (42 U. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• 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
• 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.
• Appropriate county or municipality: means the legislative body of the county or municipality that, by resolution or ordinance, respectively, created the emergency communications district. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• 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.
• board: means the board provided for in part 3 of this chapter. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• CMRS: means commercial mobile radio service under §. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• 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
• Commercial mobile radio service provider: means any person, corporation, or entity licensed by the federal communications commission to offer CMRS in the state of Tennessee, and includes, but is not limited to, broadband personal communications service, cellular radio telephone service, geographic area SMR services in the 800 MHz and 900 MHz bands that offer real-time, two-way voice service that is interconnected with the public switched network, incumbent wide area SMR licensees, or any other cellular or wireless telecommunications service to any service user. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Commission: means the commission on firefighting personnel standards and education created by this chapter. See Tennessee Code 4-24-201
• Commissioner: means any person in office as a member of the public service commission, as prescribed by title 65, chapter 1, prior to June 30, 1996. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Commissioner of social security: includes any individual to whom the commissioner of social security has delegated any of the commissioner's functions under the Social Security Act (42 U. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• 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.
• Communications service: means a service that:
  (A) Is capable of contacting and has been enabled to contact a public safety answering point (PSAP) via a 911 network by entering or dialing the digits 911. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Consumer: means a person who purchases retail communications service or prepaid communications services in a retail transaction. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• 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 governing body: means that body in a particular county that is vested with the power to levy property taxes. See Tennessee Code 7-1-101
• 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.
• Dealer: has the meaning set forth in §. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Direct dispatch method: means a 911 service in which a public service answering point, upon receipt of a telephone request for emergency services, provides for the dispatch of appropriate emergency service units and a decision as to the proper action to be taken. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• District: means any emergency communications district created pursuant to this part. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Employee: includes an officer of a state or political subdivision thereof. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• Employer: means the state, a political subdivision, or a local instrumentality of either. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• Employer: means :
  (A) The state or any department, commission, institution, board or agency of the state government by which a member is paid, with respect to members in its employ. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Employment: means any service performed by an employee in the employ of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, for such employer, except:
  (A) Service which, in the absence of an agreement entered into under this chapter, would constitute "employment" as defined in the Social Security Act. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• Entity: means an owner or operator of a business, the state, or a local government. See Tennessee Code 7-86-402
• 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.
• Federal communications commission order: means the Order of the Federal Communications Commission, FCC Docket 94-102, adopted on June 12, 1996, and released on July 26, 1996, and any subsequent amendments, and includes other federal communications commission rules and orders relating to CMRS providers, CMRS, and wireless enhanced 911 service. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Federal Insurance Contributions Act: means chapter 21 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (26 U. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fire department: means a department of a municipality, county, or political subdivision, or an organization, agency, or entity that offers its services, for or without pay, for the purpose of suppressing fires, performing rescue services, or for other emergency response purposes. See Tennessee Code 4-24-201
• Firefighter: means a person in the employ of a unit of government fire department that is registered and recognized by the state fire marshal and is required to extinguish and control fires or fire-related incidents. See Tennessee Code 4-24-201
• 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.
• Governmental entity: means a state agency, authority, board, commission, department, or office within the executive or judicial branch of state government or any autonomous state agency, authority, board, commission, department, office, or institution of higher education. See Tennessee Code 8-31-102
• 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.
• 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.
• Internal Revenue Code: means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, codified in United States Code, title 26, as amended. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• IP-enabled services: means services and applications making use of Internet protocol (IP) including, but not limited to, voice over IP and other services and applications provided through wireline, cable, wireless, and satellite facilities, and any other facility that may be provided in the future through platforms that may not be deployable at present, that are capable of connecting users dialing or entering the digits 911 to public safety answering points (PSAPs). See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• 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.
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• 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).
• 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.
• Member: means any person included in the membership of the retirement system, as provided in chapter 35, part 1 of this title. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• 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
• Military duty: means :
  (i) Training and service performed by an inductee, enlistee, or reservist or any entrant into a temporary component of the armed forces of the United States. See Tennessee Code 8-33-101
• Modification: means an amendment to the original federal-state agreement to modify coverage for coverage groups or to extend coverage to additional coverage groups consistent with Section 218 of the Social Security Act (42 USC §. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• 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.
• 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.
• Non-wireline service: means any service provided by any person, corporation or entity, other than a service supplier as defined in this part, that connects a user dialing or entering the digits 911 to a PSAP, including, but not limited to, commercial mobile radio service and IP-enabled services. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• 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.
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Political subdivision: includes an instrumentality of a state, or one (1) or more of its political subdivisions, including the Tennessee Municipal League, the Tennessee School Boards Association and the Tennessee County Services Association, or of a state and one (1) or more of its political subdivisions, but only if such instrumentality is a juristic entity which is legally separate and distinct from the state or subdivision and only if its employees are not by virtue of their relation to such juristic entity employees of the state or subdivision. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• Position: means employment held by a public employee at the time of entrance into military duty, but does not include temporary or casual employment or an office filled by election. See Tennessee Code 8-33-101
• 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.
• Prepaid communications service: means "prepaid wireless calling service" as set forth in §. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Pro se: A Latin term meaning "on one's own behalf"; in courts, it refers to persons who present their own cases without lawyers.
• 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
• PSAP: means a facility that has been designated to receive 911 phone calls and route them to emergency services personnel pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Public employee: means any person holding a position in public employment who has successfully completed the probationary period required by the agency in which such person is employed. See Tennessee Code 8-33-101
• Public employer: means any government, department, or agency mentioned in subdivision (5) employing a public employee in a position. See Tennessee Code 8-33-101
• Public employment: means employment by the government of this state, or of any county, municipality or other civil or political subdivision thereof, including any department or agency thereof. See Tennessee Code 8-33-101
• Public safety emergency services provider: means any municipality or county government that provides emergency services to the public. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Relative: means a parent, foster parent, parent-in-law, child, spouse, brother, foster brother, sister, foster sister, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, or other family member who resides in the same household. See Tennessee Code 8-31-102
• Relay method: means a 911 service in which a public safety answering point, upon receipt of a telephone request for emergency services, notes the pertinent information from the caller and relays such information to the appropriate public safety agency or other agencies or other providers of emergency service for dispatch of an emergency unit. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• 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
• Retail sale: has the meaning set forth in §. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Retirement: means withdrawal from membership with a retirement allowance granted under chapters 34-37 of this title. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• 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 price: has the meaning set forth in §. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Service: means service as a general employee, a teacher, a state police officer, a wildlife officer, a firefighter, a police officer, a state judge, a county judge, an attorney general, a commissioner or a county official which is paid for by an employer, and also includes service for which a former member of the general assembly is entitled to under former §. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Service supplier: means any person, corporation or entity providing exchange telephone service to any service user. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Service user: means any person, corporation or entity that is provided 911 service. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• 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
• Social Security Act: means the act of congress approved August 14, 1935, chapter 531, 49 Stat. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• State: means the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• 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 agency: means the state old age and survivors insurance agency. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• State employee: means any person who is employed by a governmental entity. See Tennessee Code 8-31-102
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Telephone system: includes a multiline telephone system and any equivalent system that utilizes IP-enabled services. See Tennessee Code 7-86-402
• 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.
• Transfer method: means a 911 service in which a public safety answering point, upon receipt of a telephone request for emergency services, directly transfers such request to an appropriate public safety agency or other provider of emergency services. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Volunteer firefighter: means a person who volunteers with a county, municipal, or nonprofit fire department that is registered and recognized by the state fire marshal and who is required to extinguish and control fires or fire-related incidents. See Tennessee Code 4-24-201
• Wages: means all remuneration for employment, regardless of the medium in which paid, which would constitute wages within the meaning of the Social Security Act, as amended. See Tennessee Code 8-38-101
• Wireless telecommunications service: means commercial mobile radio service as defined by 47 C. See Tennessee Code 7-86-103
• 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