Administrative Procedures Division

About the Division

The mission of the Administrative Procedures Division (APD) is to provide professional administrative judges to resolve disputes between the public and governmental agencies in an impartial manner.  Created with the adoption of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, Tenn. Code Ann. Title 4, Chapter 5, in 1974, APD is one of the oldest centralized offices of independent administrative judges in the United States.  At the present time there are approximately 25 states in the country that have an independent office of administrative judges, commonly referred to as a central panel. 

Jurisdiction

APD is comprised of administrative judges who preside over contested case hearings and mediations on behalf of both state and local governmental administrative agencies.  On average the division has 5,000 cases filed annually.  3,500 of these cases are of a general jurisdiction from approximately 75 separate agencies.  On the State level these cases involve matters related to the Bureau of TennCare, professional licensing boards, environmental boards, asset forfeiture, the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, securities, insurance agents and companies, licensing of health care facilities, certificates of need, the Civil Service Commission, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq. (special education). For the Metropolitan Government of Nashville Davidson County APD conducts hearings on behalf of the Metropolitan Civil Service Commission, the Board of Health, and the Board of Education.  APD also has approximately 1,500 cases filed annually on behalf of the State Board of Equalization pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. Title 67, Chapter 5.  APD is divided into two units.  One unit is comprised of the majority of the judges who hear cases of general jurisdiction.  APD also has a specialized unit of judges whose jurisdiction is limited to Board of Equalization hearings.

Training