Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-5-203 (2026)
Notice of hearing
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) Whenever an agency is required by law to hold a public hearing as part of its rulemaking process, the agency shall:
- (1)
- (A) Transmit written notice of the hearings to the secretary of state for publication in the notice section of the administrative register website and, if a statute applicable to the specific agency or a specific rule or class of rules under consideration requires some other form of publication, publish notice as required by that statute in addition to publication in the notice section of the administrative register website. Such notice of a hearing shall remain on the website until the date of such hearing;
- (B) Whenever an agency is required by law to hold a public hearing as part of its rulemaking process, the agency shall make copies of the rule available in redline form to persons in attendance at the hearing. As used in this subsection (a), "redline form" has the same meaning as defined in § 4-5-226(i)(2)(B);
- (2) Take such other steps as it deems necessary to convey effective notice to persons who are likely to have an interest in the rule being proposed.
- (1)
- (b) Except as otherwise permitted by § 4-5-204(e), notice through publication on the administrative register website shall be given at least forty-five (45) days prior to the date set for the hearing and shall be deemed to have been given seven (7) days from the date notice was transmitted to the secretary of state for such publication.
- (c) The notice required under subdivision (a)(1)(A) shall include:
- (1) A statement of the time and place at which the hearing is to be held;
- (2)
- (A) The express terms of the rule being proposed; provided, that an informative summary reasonably calculated to give notice to interested parties may be substituted for the express terms of the rule being proposed if:
- (i) The express terms of the rule being proposed are filed with the secretary of state;
- (ii) The secretary of state determines that publication of the entire text of the rule being proposed would be impractical; and
- (iii) The complete text of the express terms of the rule being proposed is made available by the secretary of state or the agency for public inspection and copying;
- (B) Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude an agency from making changes in the rule being proposed after the public hearing, so long as the changes are within the scope of the rulemaking notice filed with the secretary of state;
- (A) The express terms of the rule being proposed; provided, that an informative summary reasonably calculated to give notice to interested parties may be substituted for the express terms of the rule being proposed if:
- (3) Insofar as practicable, a reference to the statutory authority pursuant to which the agency proposed to adopt the rule; and
- (4) Any additional matter that may be prescribed by statute applicable to the specific rule or class of rules under consideration.
- (d) Failure of any person to receive notice of a hearing on a rule being proposed is not grounds for invalidating the resulting rule if notice of the hearing was published as provided in subdivision (a)(1).
- (e) The secretary of state shall prescribe rules governing the manner and form in which written notice of hearings shall be transmitted by the agencies to the secretary of state for publication in the notice section of the administrative register website. The secretary of state may require the online submission of notices of hearing and related filings pursuant to this part. The secretary of state may refuse to accept for publication any notice of hearing transmitted that does not conform to such requirements, in which case transmission of notice shall be deemed not to have been satisfied under subdivision (a)(1) and subsection (b).
- (f)
- (1) Except as provided in subdivision (f)(2), a hearing shall be conducted prior to the adoption of a permanent rule if such rule was filed previously as an emergency rule pursuant to § 4-5-208.
- (2) A hearing shall not be required if the emergency rule was required by an agency of the federal government and adoption of the rule through ordinary rulemaking procedures might jeopardize the loss of a federal program or funds.
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 531, Secs.s4, s5 eff. 7/1/2021.
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 531, s 3, eff. 7/1/2021.
Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 611, s 2, eff. 7/1/2018.
Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 611, s 1, eff. 7/1/2018.
Amended by 2016 Tenn. Acts, ch. 576, s 2, eff. 7/1/2016.
Amended by 2014 Tenn. Acts, ch. 782, s 2, eff. 7/1/2014.
Acts 1975, ch. 370, § 8; T.C.A., §§ 4-531, 4-5-125; Acts 1982, ch. 874, § 11; 1986, ch. 738, § 6; 1991, ch. 346, §§ 1, 2; 2009 , ch. 566, §§ 6, 7; 2010 , ch. 1125, § 1.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4
cases, 1988–2001 · leading case: U.S. Life Title Ins. Co. of New York v. Dep't of Com. & Ins. of Tennessee, 770 S.W.2d 537 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1988).
U.S. Life Title Ins. Co. of New York v. Dep't of Com. & Ins. of Tennessee, 770 S.W.2d 537 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1988). “4 One year later, it prescribed the notice requirements presently found in Tenn.Code Ann. § 4-5-203 5 which call for notice by publication in the Tennessee Administrative Register.”
Tennessee Env't Council v. Solid Waste Disposal Control Bd., 852 S.W.2d 893 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1992). “There is no complaint as to compliance with T.C.A. § 4-5-203 in the initiation of the rule making procedure.”
In the Matter of All Assessments (Tenn. Ct. App. 1999). “The record reflects that the notice of the hearing pursuant to T.C.A. § 4-5-203 stated in pertinent part as follows: “If you have filed a letter of exception with the Board challenging valuation, you must appear at this hearing and present evidence in support of your claim…”
Philip Workman v. Donal Campbell (Tenn. Ct. App. 2001). “All -5- such drawings shall be condu cted in ope n meetings and notice shall be properly given in accordance with § 4-5-203. (d) If the immediate family members of the victim choose to be present at such execu tion, they shall be allowed to wit ness the execution from an area…”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-5-203(a)(l) — 2 cases
U.S. Life Title Ins. Co. of New York v. Dep't of Com. & Ins. of Tennessee, 770 S.W.2d 537 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1988). “4 One year later, it prescribed the notice requirements presently found in Tenn.Code Ann. § 4-5-203 5 which call for notice by publication in the Tennessee Administrative Register.”
Tennessee Env't Council v. Solid Waste Disposal Control Bd., 852 S.W.2d 893 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1992). “There is no complaint as to compliance with T.C.A. § 4-5-203 in the initiation of the rule making procedure.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-5-203(c)(2)(B) — 1 case
Tennessee Env't Council v. Solid Waste Disposal Control Bd., 852 S.W.2d 893 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1992). “There is no complaint as to compliance with T.C.A. § 4-5-203 in the initiation of the rule making procedure.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-5-203(d) — 1 case
U.S. Life Title Ins. Co. of New York v. Dep't of Com. & Ins. of Tennessee, 770 S.W.2d 537 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1988). “4 One year later, it prescribed the notice requirements presently found in Tenn.Code Ann. § 4-5-203 5 which call for notice by publication in the Tennessee Administrative Register.”
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