{"data":{"id":"us-tn/tenn.-code-ann.-39-16-506","jurisdiction":"us-tn","citation":"Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-506","heading":"Coercion of employee who is public servant by employer or agent of employer","body":"(a) As used in this section: (1) \"Coercion\" means a threat, however communicated, to: (A) Commit any offense; (B) Wrongfully accuse any person of any offense; (C) Expose any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule; (D) Harm the credit or business repute of any person; or (E) Take or withhold action related to the employment of a public servant or a family member of a public servant; (2) \"Employee\" includes, but is not limited to: (A) A person employed by the state or any municipality, county, department, board, commission, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, or any other entity of the state; (B) A person employed by a private employer; or (C) A person who receives compensation from the federal government for services performed for the federal government, notwithstanding that the person is not a full-time employee of the federal government; and (3) \"Employer\" includes, but is not limited to: (A) The state or any municipality, county, department, board, commission, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, or any other entity of the state; (B) A private employer; or (C) The federal government, as to an employee who receives compensation from the federal government for services performed for the federal government, notwithstanding that the person is not a full-time federal employee. (b) An employer, or an agent of an employer acting on behalf of the employer, commits an offense who by means of coercion: (1) Influences or attempts to influence an employee who is a public servant to vote or not to vote in a particular manner; or (2) Influences or attempts to influence an employee who is a public servant to resign as a public servant or unnecessarily recuse themselves from a public body with the intent to influence the action or inaction of a public body. (c) A violation of this section is a Class E felony. Added by 2022 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1142, s 2, eff. 7/1/2022.\n(a) As used in this section: (1) \"Coercion\" means a threat, however communicated, to: (A) Commit any offense; (B) Wrongfully accuse any person of any offense; (C) Expose any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule; (D) Harm the credit or business repute of any person; or (E) Take or withhold action related to the employment of a public servant or a family member of a public servant; (2) \"Employee\" includes, but is not limited to: (A) A person employed by the state or any municipality, county, department, board, commission, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, or any other entity of the state; (B) A person employed by a private employer; or (C) A person who receives compensation from the federal government for services performed for the federal government, notwithstanding that the person is not a full-time employee of the federal government; and (3) \"Employer\" includes, but is not limited to: (A) The state or any municipality, county, department, board, commission, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, or any other entity of the state; (B) A private employer; or (C) The federal government, as to an employee who receives compensation from the federal government for services performed for the federal government, notwithstanding that the person is not a full-time federal employee.\n(1) \"Coercion\" means a threat, however communicated, to: (A) Commit any offense; (B) Wrongfully accuse any person of any offense; (C) Expose any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule; (D) Harm the credit or business repute of any person; or (E) Take or withhold action related to the employment of a public servant or a family member of a public servant;\n(A) Commit any offense;\n(B) Wrongfully accuse any person of any offense;\n(C) Expose any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule;\n(D) Harm the credit or business repute of any person; or\n(E) Take or withhold action related to the employment of a public servant or a family member of a public servant;\nithhold action related to the employment of a public servant or a family member of a public servant;\n(A) Commit any offense;\n(B) Wrongfully accuse any person of any offense;\n(C) Expose any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule;\n(D) Harm the credit or business repute of any person; or\n(E) Take or withhold action related to the employment of a public servant or a family member of a public servant;\n(2) \"Employee\" includes, but is not limited to: (A) A person employed by the state or any municipality, county, department, board, commission, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, or any other entity of the state; (B) A person employed by a private employer; or (C) A person who receives compensation from the federal government for services performed for the federal government, notwithstanding that the person is not a full-time employee of the federal government; and\n(A) A person employed by the state or any municipality, county, department, board, commission, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, or any other entity of the state;\n(B) A person employed by a private employer; or\n(C) A person who receives compensation from the federal government for services performed for the federal government, notwithstanding that the person is not a full-time employee of the federal government; and\n(3) \"Employer\" includes, but is not limited to: (A) The state or any municipality, county, department, board, commission, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, or any other entity of the state; (B) A private employer; or (C) The federal government, as to an employee who receives compensation from the federal government for services performed for the federal government, notwithstanding that the person is not a full-time federal employee.\n(A) The state or any municipality, county, department, board, commission, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, or any other entity of the state;\n(B) A private employer; or\n(C) The federal government, as to an employee who receives compensation from the federal government for services performed for the federal government, notwithstanding that the person is not a full-time federal employee.\n(b) An employer, or an agent of an employer acting on behalf of the employer, commits an offense who by means of coercion: (1) Influences or attempts to influence an employee who is a public servant to vote or not to vote in a particular manner; or (2) Influences or attempts to influence an employee who is a public servant to resign as a public servant or unnecessarily recuse themselves from a public body with the intent to influence the action or inaction of a public body.\n(1) Influences or attempts to influence an employee who is a public servant to vote or not to vote in a particular manner; or\n(2) Influences or attempts to influence an employee who is a public servant to resign as a public servant or unnecessarily recuse themselves from a public body with the intent to influence the action or inaction of a public body.\n(c) A violation of this section is a Class E felony.","path":["TN Code","Title 39","Chapter 16"],"source_url":"https://oss-data-us.vaquill.ai/v2026.08/us_tn_statutes.parquet","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:26Z","sha256":"3fcf0370802333d0b70ac6768d084e38f37c0ff9532fba002dc5d8bb84781d4a","source_id":"us-tn","stale":false,"prev":"us-tn/tenn.-code-ann.-39-16-504","next":"us-tn/tenn.-code-ann.-39-16-507"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}