Duties

  1. Law
  2. Tennessee Code
  3. Public Officers and Employees
  4. Secretary of State
  5. General Provisions
  6. Duties

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It is the duty of the secretary of state to:

  1. Keep the secretary of state's office at the seat of government;
  2. Keep a fair register of all the official acts and proceedings of the government;
  3. Lay the same, when required, and all papers, minutes, and vouchers relating thereto, before the general assembly at each session;
  4. Cause the original acts and resolutions of the general assembly, that are enrolled and filed in the secretary of state's office, to be bound together, and preserved in that form in such office;
  5. Make out and deliver to the printer, for publication, attested copies thereof as soon after receiving them as conveniently may be, and collate the printed copies with the originals; provided, that resolutions of the general assembly shall be published in accordance with title 12, chapters 5 and 6;
  6. Receive and safely keep all official bonds directed by law to be lodged in the secretary of state's office, record the same in books for that purpose, give attested copies thereof agreeably to law, and lay such bonds and such record before the general assembly when required;
  7. Issue a summons, under the secretary of state's hand and the seal of the state, to each public officer who is required by law to enter into bond payable to the state of Tennessee for the performance of official duty, and who has failed and neglected to forward the same, as required by law, commanding such officer to deposit such bond in the office of the secretary of state;
  8. Make out all commissions to be issued by the governor and, when signed by the governor but not before, affix to them the seal of the state;
  9. Affix the seal of the state to any other instrument or act when authorized by the governor, but not otherwise;
  10. Give to any person requiring the same, and paying lawful fees, an attested copy of any act, record, or paper in the secretary of state's office, except papers relating immediately to the executive department, and, in the governor's judgment, requiring secrecy;
  11. Examine and adjust any account presented against the secretary of state's office for freight, storage, and other necessary charges on books and documents transmitted from other states of the union for the use of this state, and certify the same to be just and true, as adjusted;
  12. Record in the secretary of state's office titles to the state;
  13. Preserve carefully in the secretary of state's office all copies of the records of the boundaries of civil districts forwarded to the secretary of state by the county clerks;
  14. Furnish the commissioner of revenue on the first day of each month a list of all new corporations that have been licensed or authorized to operate in this state during the preceding month; and
  15. Furnish the commissioner of revenue on the first day of each month a list of all corporations that have surrendered their charters or have ceased to do business in this state during the preceding month.

Code 1858, § 197 (deriv. Acts 1796 (Mar.), ch. 3, §§ 1-4, 6, 11; 1823, ch. 18, § 1; 1835-1836, ch. 1, § 6; 1841-1842, ch. 123, § 1; 1843-1844, ch. 135, § 1); Shan., § 245; Acts 1923, ch. 72, §§ 2, 3; Code 1932, § 191; Acts 1947, ch. 106, § 3; mod. C. Supp. 1950, § 191; impl. am. Acts 1959, ch. 9, § 14; impl. am. Acts 1978, ch. 934, §§ 22, 36; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 8-304; Acts 1981, ch. 109, § 1.

Cross-References. Accounting for fees, §§8-22-118 —8-22-121.

Annual report, §4-4-114.

Bonds of state and county officers, filing, §§8-19-101,8-19-116 —8-19-119.

Borrowing money on the faith and credit of the state prohibited, §9-1-102.

Deeds conveying surplus state park lands, attested by, §11-3-109.

Department of state, duties, §4-3-2101.

Distribution of publications, title 12, ch. 6.

Duties of secretary of state, Tenn. Const., art. III, § 17.

Election returns, comparison, §2-8-110.

Housing authorities, application, filing and recording with, §13-20-506.

Insurance companies, cancellation of charter upon failure to notify commissioner of revenue of death of insured, §67-8-424.

Interest on taxes, licenses and fees, publication of rates, §67-1-801.

Oaths to be filed, §8-18-108.

Officers commissioned, §8-18-106.

Private acts, duties, title 8, ch. 3, part 2.

Public calculation and comparison of votes, certificate of election, §2-8-110.

Seal, providing for commissioner of financial institutions, §45-1-112.

Watershed district petitions, action on, title 69, ch. 6.

Attorney General Opinions. Failure of bill to pass on three different days, OAG 98-0140, 1998 Tenn. AG LEXIS 140 (8/7/98).

Secretary of state's non-discretionary duty to publish laws, OAG 98-0140, 1998 Tenn. AG LEXIS 140 (8/7/98).


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