Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101 (2026)
Purpose - Jurisdiction - Ensuring compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) This part shall be construed to effectuate the following public purposes:
- (1) Provide for the care, protection, and wholesome moral, mental and physical development of children coming within its provisions;
- (2) Consistent with the protection of the public interest, remove from children committing delinquent acts the taint of criminality and the consequences of criminal behavior and substitute therefor a program of treatment, training and rehabilitation;
- (3) Achieve the foregoing purposes in a family environment whenever possible, separating the child from such child's parents only when necessary for such child's welfare or in the interest of public safety;
- (4) Provide a simple judicial procedure through which this part is executed and enforced and in which the parties are assured a fair hearing and their constitutional and other legal rights recognized and enforced;
- (5) Provide simple interstate procedures that permit resort to cooperative measures among the juvenile courts of the several states when required to effectuate the purposes of this part;
- (6) Generally deinstitutionalize children who have not been found to be delinquent; and
- (7) Provide developmentally appropriate interventions based on current scientific research in related fields, including neuroscience, psychology, sociology, and criminology.
- (b) It is the intention of the general assembly in the passage of this part to promulgate laws relative to children that are to be uniform in application throughout the state.
- (c) Each of the juvenile courts in all the counties and municipalities of the state as described in § 37-1-102 have all of the jurisdiction, authority, rights, powers and duties prescribed by this part, and any additional jurisdiction, authority, rights, powers or duties conferred by special or private act upon any of the juvenile courts in the state are not intended to be invalidated or repealed by this part, except where inconsistent or in conflict with any provisions of this part.
- (d) Whenever a juvenile court conducts a child custody proceeding, as defined in § 36-6-205, the court shall ensure compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act, compiled in 25 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq.
Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1052,s 2, eff. 7/1/2018.
Amended by 2017 Tenn. Acts, ch. 271,s 1, eff. 5/4/2017.
Acts 1970, ch. 600, §§ 1, 59; 1979, ch. 289, § 1; T.C.A., §§ 37-201, 37-259; Acts 2009, ch. 317, § 1.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 42
cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1985–2022 · leading case: In Re Benjamin M., 310 S.W.3d 844 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2009).
In Re Benjamin M., 310 S.W.3d 844 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2009). “The statutory scheme affording protection to juveniles, Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 37-1-101, et seq. (2006 and Supp.”
Doe v. Norris, 751 S.W.2d 834 (Tenn. 1988). “Defendants argue that their policies and practices are rationally related to the legitimate governmental purposes espoused by T.C.A. § 37-1-101. These include: 1. Providing for the care, protection, and wholesome moral, mental and physical development of children coming within…”
State v. Rodgers, 235 S.W.3d 92 (Tenn. 2007). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 37-1-101 (a)(2) (2005). Another purpose of the legislation is to “[p]rovide a simple judicial procedure through which this part is executed and enforced and in which the parties are assured a fair hearing and their constitutional and other legal rights…”
State Ex Rel. Whitley v. Lewis, 244 S.W.3d 824 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2007). “See T.C.A. § 37-1-101, et seq. (2005). The juvenile court’s jurisdiction, then, is defined by the statutes granting them power to act.”
Cooper v. Thompson, 710 S.W.2d 944 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1985). “” Prior to the effective date of T.C.A. § 37-1-101 (1984) regarding juvenile courts and proceedings, our Supreme Court considered the case of In Re Scalf's Adoption, 176 Tenn.”
In Re Lineweaver, 343 S.W.3d 401 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2010). “See Tenn.Code Ann. § 37-1-101 et seq. Thus, virtually every Juvenile Court file involves a matter of great importance to a child or to a family.”
Ham v. Hosp. of Morristown, Inc., 917 F. Supp. 531 (E.D. Tenn. 1995). “See T.C.A. §§ 37-1-101 through 616. Part 4 of this chapter succinctly summarizes the duty owed by the defendants in this ease— and indeed all persons — to the minor plaintiff Desiree: “Mandatory Child Abuse Reports.”
State v. Carroll, 36 S.W.3d 854 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1999). “§ 37-1-101 (1996). In accordance with this purpose, children alleged to be delinquent may only be detained in facilities separate from and removed from jails or other facilities for the detention of adults.”
State, Dept. of Human Servs. v. Hauck, 872 S.W.2d 916 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1993). “As to the second issue, we must first examine the provisions of T.C.A. §§ 37-1-101, et seq. T.C.A. § 37-1-102 provides in pertinent part as follows: Definitions.”
In Re Slm, 207 S.W.3d 288 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 37-1-101(a)(4), -101(b) (2005); In re McCloud, No.”
In Re A.L.H. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2017). “) Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101 (a)(1) provides that one public purpose to be effectuated by the construction of the provisions governing juvenile court proceedings is to “[p]rovide for the care, protection, and wholesome moral, mental and physical development of children coming…”
State of Tennessee v. Allen Kelley (Tenn. Ct. App. 2012). “Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 37-1-101 through -183.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101(1) — 1 case
Doe v. Norris, 751 S.W.2d 834 (Tenn. 1988). “Defendants argue that their policies and practices are rationally related to the legitimate governmental purposes espoused by T.C.A. § 37-1-101. These include: 1. Providing for the care, protection, and wholesome moral, mental and physical development of children coming within…”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101(4) — 1 case
In the Matter of: Jamie, Janet & Jhanaid Murphy (Tenn. Ct. App. 1998).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101(a) — 1 case
In Re: Allyn Hood d/b/a/ A-Hood Bonding Co. (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101(a)(1) — 1 case
In Re Benjamin M., 310 S.W.3d 844 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2009). “The statutory scheme affording protection to juveniles, Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 37-1-101, et seq. (2006 and Supp.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101(a)(2) — 1 case
In Re: Allyn Hood d/b/a/ A-Hood Bonding Co. (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101(a)(3) — 1 case
In the matter of: April F. (d.o.b. 11/20/98), Dylan F. (d.o.b. 3/30/00), & Devin F. (d.o.b. 7/24/06 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2010).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101(a)(4) — 3 cases
In Re Slm, 207 S.W.3d 288 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 37-1-101(a)(4), -101(b) (2005); In re McCloud, No.”
In the Matter of: Jamie, Janet & Jhanaid Murphy (Tenn. Ct. App. 1998).
Jennifer Skerrett v. The Ass'n for Guidance (Tenn. Ct. App. 2003).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-101(c) — 1 case
In Re Slm, 207 S.W.3d 288 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 37-1-101(a)(4), -101(b) (2005); In re McCloud, No.”
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