Private Acts of 2024 Chapter 35

SECTION 1. The General Sessions Court for Putnam County shall have concurrent jurisdiction, power, and authority with the Chancery and Circuit Courts to hear and determine all cases of adoption, and all other proceedings and all other relief incident thereto together with the full power and authority conferred upon the Circuit and Chancery Courts to enforce all its orders, decrees, and judgments. The Putnam County Judge of the General Sessions Court may sit by interchange in exercising concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit and Chancery Courts in the county conferred by Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-1-101 et seq. regarding adoptions.

SECTION 2. Appeals from any judgment as to adoptions rendered by the General Sessions Court for Putnam County Court arising under this section shall be to the Court of Appeals or to the Supreme Court of this state in the same manner as provided in such cases from the Circuit and Chancery Courts. 

All adoption cases brought in the General Sessions Court for Putnam County under this section shall be according to the form for pleadings and practice in the Chancery and Circuit Courts of this state and said cases shall be tried as like cases are tried in the Chancery and Circuit Courts of this state. The clerk of the General Sessions Court for Putnam County shall keep a docket of adoption cases filed in the General Sessions Court for Putnam County Court, and the procedure in each case, and shall enter orders and decrees according to the practice and rules of the Chancery and Circuit Courts.

In exercising concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit and Chancery Courts in the county conferred by Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-1-101 et seq. regarding adoptions, the General Sessions Court of Putnam County shall be a court of record, the records to be kept and preserved as required by law for circuit and chancery courts. The Judge of the General Sessions Court for Putnam County shall make and cause to be entered on record all such orders and decrees regarding adoption matters as may be passed by him, according to the practice and rules now obtaining in the Chancery and Circuit Courts in order to affect and complete the jurisdiction herein conferred.

SECTION 3. The General Sessions Court for Putnam County shall have the power and authority to try cases regarding adoptions, the same as the Circuit and Chancery Courts now have, in all such cases, and issue subpoenas for witnesses, and to do and perform any and all acts authorized by law to be done in such cases in the Chancery and Circuit Courts, and to compel the attendance of witnesses, and to enforce judgments, orders, and decrees, and do all acts necessary to complete the jurisdiction herein conferred.

SECTION 4. The General Sessions Court for Putnam County shall have authority to hear and determine all undisposed adoption cases over which jurisdiction is conferred by this act and which are pending in Putnam County at the time this act takes effect as if such cases had originated in the General Sessions Court for Putnam County.

SECTION 5. If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the Act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end the provisions of this Act are declared to be severable.

SECTION 6. This act has no effect unless it is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the legislative body of Putnam County. Its approval or nonapproval shall be proclaimed by the presiding officer of the legislative body and certified to the secretary of state.

SECTION 7. For the purpose of approving or rejecting the provisions of this act, it takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, it takes effect as provided in Section 6.

Passed: March 7th, 2024