Consumer Affairs — Protects Tennessee consumers from deceptive business practices, advocates on consumers' behalf, and educates the public on consumer issues.

• Consumer Affairs also investigates claims and refers cases to the state Attorney General, who may take action against a person or business violating the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act.
• During calendar years 1998 through 2002, the division addressed more than 28,000 written complaints and recovered more than $19 million.
• Contact: (800) 342-8385 or (615) 741-4737. The division maintains a consumer-friendly web site with an on-line complaint form at www.state.tn.us/consumer.

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Fire Prevention — The commissioner of Commerce and Insurance also serves as the State Fire Marshal, and administers fire prevention programs through this division.

• Administrative Services Section. This section coordinates public fire education efforts, administers the certification program for fire and building code inspectors, collects statewide fire data, and issues permits and licenses. 615-741-2981.
• Bomb and Arson Section. As the law enforcement arm of the division, this section works with local, state, and federal law enforcement to investigate incidents of arson and criminal misuse of explosives. Persons with information about incendiary fires are urged to call the Arson Hotline at (800) 762-3017.
• Codes Enforcement Section. This section reviews new construction plans and inspects schools, day care facilities, residential mental health and mental retardation facilities, propane gas dealerships, and fireworks. Blasting, modular buildings, manufactured homes, and recreational vehicles are regulated by this section. 615-741-7190.
• Electrical Inspection Section. This section performs residential, commercial, and industrial electrical inspections of new and existing structures and assists local officials with large commercial and industrial installations. 615-741-7190.
• Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy. This educational facility is designed to train volunteer and career firefighters, codes enforcement personnel, and others involved in the delivery of emergency services throughout Tennessee. 931-294-4111.

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Insurance — This division is responsible for enforcing the state's insurance laws.

• Actuarial Section. This office reviews approximately 18,000 life, credit life and accident and health insurance policy form changes annually, and approves changes in those policies.
• Agent Licensing. This office regulates more than 90,000 insurance producers licensed to do business in Tennessee. It also regulates more than 300 approved continuing insurance education providers.
• Financial Affairs Section. This section regulates the financial and operational condition of life, accident and health, title, captive companies, health maintenance organizations, governmental entity pools, and risk retention groups. This section reviews financial statements, receives required reports and premium taxes, and performs detailed company examinations to enforce financial requirements and compliance with insurance laws, rules, and regulations.
• Consumer Insurance Services Section. This office provides consumer outreach and mediation services to consumers to help resolve insurance-related disputes. In addition, a fraud and special investigations unit investigates and recommends actions against violators of Tennessee insurance statutes.
• Property and Casualty Section. Tennessee law requires that rates charged by property and casualty insurance companies not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory. This section reviews rate, rule, and policy form filings by licensed insurance companies. Approximately 4,000 filings are processed each year.
• Fraud Unit. This unit investigates fraudulent activity in the insurance industry.

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Securities — This division helps protect Tennessee investors by maintaining the integrity of capital markets and enforcing securities laws. (615) 741-2947 in Nashville - (800) 863-9117 anywhere in Tennessee.

• Securities Registration. This section registers all non-exempt securities and receives notice filings for covered securities to be sold in the state.
• Broker-Dealer, Agent, Investment Adviser Registration. This section registers broker-dealers (securities firms), registered representatives, agents (stockbrokers), and investment advisers to do business in the state and receives notice filings for federally-registered investment advisers. There are over 1,700 broker-dealers, 600 investment advisers, and 90,000 agents registered through this section.
• Enforcement. This section is responsible for the investigation of complaints involving securities violations and enforcing the 1980 Tennessee Securities Act. Cases involving administrative, civil, or criminal actions originate from this section.

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TennCare Oversight — The TennCare Division protects the public health and the integrity of the TennCare Program through oversight, examination, and monitoring of TennCare HMOs and BHOs. (615) 741-2677.

• The responsibilities of this division include reviewing and analyzing financial status, market conduct activities, and compliance with federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as they apply to the TennCare Program HMO and BHO operations. The division also supports the TennCare Claims Processing Panel, overseeing the independent review of provider claims denials.

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Regulatory Boards — This division licenses and regulates more than 650,000 Tennesseans in their professions and businesses. These 22 boards and commissions are empowered to take disciplinary action-including revokation of licenses and assignment of civil penalties against license-holders found guilty of violating laws governing their professions. The division has a separate investigations unit. (615) 741-3449.

• Regulatory Boards and Commissions — The commissioner of Commerce and Insurance appoints the members of the Advisory Board on Professional Boxing, the Private Protective Services Advisory Committee, and the Cemetery Advisory Board. All other appointments are made by the governor.

Administration (615) 741-3449	Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors (615) 741-3611
State Board of Accountancy (615) 741-2550	Motor Vehicle Commission (615) 741-2711
Board of Architectural & Engineering Examiners (615) 741-3221	Employee Leasing Program (615) 741-1741
Auctioneer Commission (615) 741-3600	Tennessee Boxing Program (615) 741-1741
Board of Barber Examiners (615) 741-2294	Tennessee Real Estate Commission (615) 741-2273
Board for Licensing Contractors (615) 741-8307	Real Estate Appraiser Commission (615) 741-1831
Collection Services Board (615) 741-1741	Private Protective Services Program (615) 741-6382
Cosmetology Board (615) 741-2515	Geology Registration Section (615) 741-3611
Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers (615) 741-5062	Private Investigators/Polygraph Commission (615) 741-4827
Burial Services/Cemetery Program (615) 741-5062	Private Probation Services Council (615) 741-1741
Alarm System Contractors Board (615) 741-9771	Tennessee Race Track Licensing Program (615) 741-1741
Home Inspector Licensing (615) 741-1741	Scrap Metals Licensing Program

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Tennessee Emergency Communications Board - The Emergency Communications Board is a self-funded, nine-member agency administratively attached to the Department of Commerce and Insurance,1 created “for the purpose of assisting emergency communications district (“ECD”) boards of directors in the area of management, operations, and accountability, and establishing emergency communications for all citizens of the state.”2  The Board is funded through a monthly emergency telephone service charge on users and subscribers of non-wireline communications services.3

By statute, the Board exercises financial and operational oversight over the state’s 100 ECDs which are the statutorily created municipalities that administer or facilitate local E-911 call taking and/or dispatching services across the state.4  The Board establishes technical, operational and dispatcher training standards, and administers grants and reimbursement programs which distribute funds to ECDs.5  It also provides advisory technical assistance to ECDs upon request.6  Its enabling legislation authorizes the Board, upon request, to increase the emergency telephone service charge on landlines in ECDs to the statutory maximum and to provide supervision and evaluation to ECDs that meet the statutory criteria for financial distress.7  In addition, the Board may review decisions of the boards of directors of ECDs upon request by city or county governing bodies.8  To assist in fulfilling its statutory mandate to establish a statewide emergency communications system, the Board may provide reimbursement to wireless carriers and others to cover “expenditures to implement, maintain, operate or enhance statewide wireless enhanced 911 service.”9  The Board currently administers such a reimbursement program for commercial mobile radio service providers (“wireless carriers”) and others.

The Board works on many fronts to facilitate the technical, financial and operational advancement of the state’s ECDs.  A major focus has been to implement and maintain wireless Enhanced 911 (“E-911”) for the state, as set forth by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) in orders and regulations it has issued on 911-related matters since 1994.  Tennessee was the third state in the nation to fully deploy the equipment and technology needed to automatically locate 911 calls from properly equipped cellphones and has received national recognition for its leadership in 911 related matters.

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Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy (TLETA) - The Jerry F. Agee Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy (TLETA) was authorized by the 1963 General Assembly to train state, county, and city law enforcement officers.  In the early years, TLETA functioned primarily in a commission capacity.  However, since being brought under the Department of Safety on February 15, 1983, the academy has evolved into one of the premier law enforcement training institutions in the United States.

TLETA strives to:

• Provide service to government agencies through police science and administrative education programs for officers at all levels of responsibility;
• Provide timely and relevant information to officers who attend these training programs, which increases their capabilities to better serve their departments and the citizens of the State of Tennessee;
• Be the center of law enforcement training for all law enforcement officers.

Annually, the Training Academy generally trains about half of the new police recruits in the state, provides in-service training, and assists the Peace Officers Standards and Training (P.O.S.T) Commission in maintaining records for approximately 17,000 certified officers in the state.  Specialized school offerings by the Academy in mandated, requested, and emerging subjects provide an opportunity for P.O.S.T. certified officers to receive the required in-service training as well as learn innovative techniques in maintaining law enforcement services.  The opening of the TLETA Annex building (pictured below) has enabled the academy to greatly increase its course offerings.  TLETA also provides mandated consultative services to local law enforcement agencies and associations.  Associations and agencies such as the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association, Association of Tennessee Chiefs of Police, and Tennessee District Attorneys benefit from the expertise of the TLETA staff on matters involving emerging law enforcement issues or methods of service.

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Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (POST) - Serving as the primary regulatory body for Tennessee Law Enforcement, the P.O.S.T. Commission develops and enforces educational, physical, and proficiency skills standards for law enforcement agencies and officers statewide.  In addition to setting standards the Commission also certifies law enforcement training, instructors, curricula, academies, specialized schools, officers, staff, and agencies; and annually provides a salary supplement to certified full time officers completing the required 40 hours of in-service training. Statutorily required to serve as staff for the P.O.S. T. Commission, the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy (TLETA) assists the Commission in maintaining information and files on all of the certified laws enforcement officers in Tennessee.