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A person who is aggrieved by a final decision in a contested case is entitled to judicial review under this chapter, which shall be the only available method of judicial review. A preliminary, procedural or intermediate agency action or ruling is immediately reviewable if review of the final agency decision would not provide an adequate remedy.
A state agency is considered to be an aggrieved person for the purpose of judicial review when the order is from a board, commission or other entity independent of the aggrieved agency. In such instances, judicial review under this chapter is permitted upon the request of the agency head and the approval of the attorney general and reporter.
Proceedings for review are instituted by filing a petition for review in chancery court.
Except as provided in subdivisions (b)(1)(B), venue for appeals of contested case hearings shall be in the chancery court nearest to the place of residence of the person contesting the agency action or alternatively, at the person's discretion, in the chancery court nearest to the place where the cause of action arose, or in the chancery court of Davidson County.
Venue for appeals of contested case hearings involving TennCare determinations shall be in the chancery court of Davidson County.
Petitions seeking judicial review shall be filed within sixty (60) days after the entry of the agency's final order thereon.
A person who is aggrieved by a final decision of the department of human services or the department of children's services in a contested case may file a petition for review in the chancery court located either in the county of the official residence of the appropriate commissioner or in the county in which any one (1) or more of the petitioners reside.
A person who is aggrieved by the final determination of a hearing officer or local board of education in a special education hearing conducted pursuant to § 49-10-606 may file a petition for review in the chancery court of Davidson County or, alternatively, in the county in which the petitioner resides.
A person who is aggrieved by any final decision of the Tennessee public utility commission, or by a final decision of the state board of equalization in a contested case involving centrally assessed utility property assessed in accordance with title 67, chapter 5, part 13, shall file any petition for review with the middle division of the court of appeals.
In a case in which a petition for judicial review is submitted within the sixty-day period but is filed with an inappropriate court, the case shall be transferred to the appropriate court. The time for filing a petition for review in a court as provided in this chapter shall not be extended because of the period of time allotted for filing with the agency a petition for reconsideration. Copies of the petition shall be served upon the agency and all parties of record, including the attorney general and reporter, in accordance with the provisions of the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure pertaining to service of process.
The filing of the petition for review does not itself stay enforcement of the agency decision. The agency may grant, or the reviewing court may order, a stay upon appropriate terms, but if it is shown to the satisfaction of the reviewing court, in a hearing that shall be held within ten (10) days of a request for hearing by either party, that any party or the public at large may suffer injury by reason of the granting of a stay, then no stay shall be granted until a good and sufficient bond, in an amount fixed and approved by the court, shall be given by the petitioner conditioned to indemnify the other persons who might be so injured and if no bond amount is sufficient, the stay shall be denied. The reviewing court shall not consider a stay unless notice has been given to the attorney general and reporter; nor shall the reviewing court consider a stay unless the petitioner has previously sought a stay from the agency or demonstrates that an agency ruling on a stay application cannot be obtained within a reasonable time.
Within forty-five (45) days after service of the petition, or within further time allowed by the court, the agency shall transmit to the reviewing court the original or a certified copy of the entire record of the proceeding under review. By stipulation of all the parties of the review proceedings, the record may be shortened. A party unreasonably refusing to stipulate to limit the record may be taxed by the court for the additional cost. The court may require or permit subsequent corrections or additions to the record.
If, before the date set for hearing, application is made to the court for leave to present additional evidence, and it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that the additional evidence is material and that there were good reasons for failure to present it in the proceeding before the agency, the court may order that the additional evidence be taken before the agency upon conditions determined by the court. The agency may modify its findings and decision by reason of the additional evidence and shall file that evidence and any modifications, new findings or decisions with the reviewing court.
The procedure ordinarily followed in the reviewing court will be followed in the review of contested cases decided by the agency, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. The agency that issued the decision to be reviewed is not required to file a responsive pleading.
The review shall be conducted by the court without a jury and shall be confined to the record. In cases of alleged irregularities in procedure before the agency, not shown in the record, proof thereon may be taken in the court.
The court may affirm the decision of the agency or remand the case for further proceedings. The court may reverse or modify the decision if the rights of the petitioner have been prejudiced because the administrative findings, inferences, conclusions or decisions are:
In violation of constitutional or statutory provisions;
In excess of the statutory authority of the agency;
Made upon unlawful procedure;
Arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion or clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion; or
Unsupported by evidence that is both substantial and material in the light of the entire record.
In determining the substantiality of evidence, the court shall take into account whatever in the record fairly detracts from its weight, but the court shall not substitute its judgment for that of the agency as to the weight of the evidence on questions of fact.
No agency decision pursuant to a hearing in a contested case shall be reversed, remanded or modified by the reviewing court unless for errors that affect the merits of such decision.
The reviewing court shall reduce its findings of fact and conclusions of law to writing and make them parts of the record.