Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 22 > Chapter 2 > Part 1 - General Provisions

• Abstinence: means not participating in any activity that puts an individual at risk for pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• abstinence-centered: means an approach that promotes sexual risk avoidance, or primary prevention, and teaches vital life skills that empower youth to identify healthy and unhealthy relationships, accurately understand sexually transmitted diseases and contraception, set goals, make healthy life decisions, and build character. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• Age-appropriate: means designed to teach concepts, information and skills based on the social, cognitive, emotional and experience level of most students at a particular age level. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• 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.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Family life education: means an abstinence-centered sex education program that builds a foundation of knowledge and skills relating to character development, human development, decision making, abstinence, contraception and disease prevention. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• Gateway sexual activity: means sexual contact, as defined in subdivision (14), that could precipitate engagement in a nonabstinent behavior. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• Germane: On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of relevance.
• 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.
• Juror: A person who is on the jury.
• Medically accurate: means information that is grounded in evidence-based, peer-reviewed science and research. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Parent: means the parent, guardian, person who has custody of the child, or individual who has caregiving authority under §. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Puberty: means a developmental stage during which the pituitary gland triggers the production of testosterone in boys and the production of estrogen and progesterone in girls. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• 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
• Risk avoidance: means an approach that encourages the prevention of participation in risk behaviors as opposed to merely reducing the consequences of those risk behaviors. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• 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
• Sexual activity: means sexual penetration or sexual contact, or both. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• Sexual contact: means sexual contact as defined under §. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• Sexual orientation: means an individual's actual or perceived sexual orientation as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1301
• 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
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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