Court Opinion

ID: 9759123
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 00:06:27.882941+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:59.580154
License: Public Domain

OPINION ON PETITION TO REHEAR
The Department of Revenue has filed a Petition to Rehear in this case. Rule 39, T.R.A.P. Fundamentally, the Commissioner of Revenue contends that the Court’s opinion overlooks the effect of the prefatory language of T.C.A. § 45-10-103, that “the following acts are expressly permitted by the provisions of this chapter, but are not otherwise subject to” the Financial Records Privacy Act.
We have fully considered the Commissioner’s arguments. In our opinion, the language in question provides financial institutions and the governments of this State and the United States the necessary regulatory access to protected records. T.C.A. § 45-10-103 defines certain unilateral, permissible acts of disclosure that may be made by a financial institution without compliance with the other provisions of this statute. All T.C.A. § 45-10-103(8) does is permit a financial institution to rely on and respond to a subpoena properly issued and served under this statute, but this subsection clearly permits an institution to contest the process in good faith. The provision does not create an exception to the subpoena requirements of the Financial Records Privacy Act.
We adhere to our construction of T.C.A. § 45-10-103, which permits certain routine disclosures that are not otherwise subject to the strictures of the act, but all subpoenas issued to financial institutions are covered by the terms of this statute. The Act is unambiguous and will be construed on its face. Madison Loan and Thrift Co. v. Neff, 648 S.W.2d 655, 657 (Tenn.App.1982). The Petition to Rehear is denied.