Purchase of Insurance

Under T.C.A. § 29-20-407, counties may purchase tort liability insurance without competitive bidding from the local government insurance pool or any other plan authorized and approved by any organization of governmental entities representing cities and counties, regardless of any general law, private act or charter restrictions.   However, this statute only applies to liability insurance purchased from pools or plans described in the statute.  When purchasing other insurance, counties must follow applicable competitive bidding laws.  Insurance products do not fall within the definition of professional services in T.C.A. § 12-3-1209, which exempts professional services from competitive bidding.  Op. Tenn. Att’y Gen. 13-65 (8/23/13).