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Tennessee Commissioner of Insurance
| Tennessee Commissioner of Insurance | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $171,744 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $2,966,200 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Expires with the beginning of the term of the governor next elected or whenever a successor is appointed |
| Authority: | Tennessee Code, Title 56, Chapter 1, Part 2 |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by Governor |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Tennessee Commissioner of Insurance
Carter Lawrence | |
| Other Tennessee Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Comptroller • Treasurer • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
The Tennessee Commissioner of Insurance is a nonpartisan state executive position in the Tennessee state government.
The commissioner is head of the Department of Commerce and Insurance. The insurance division is in charge of enforcing the state's insurance laws and supervising insurance companies and other licensed entities in the state.[1]
Current officeholder
The current Tennessee Commissioner of Insurance is Carter Lawrence (nonpartisan). Lawrence assumed office in 2020.
Authority
The Department of Commerce and Insurance, with the commissioner as its chief officer, is established in Title 56, Chapter 1, Part 2 of the Tennessee Code.
56-1-201: Creation of department of commerce and insurance
| There is created a department of commerce and insurance, whose chief officer is the commissioner.[2] |
Qualifications
Title 56, Chapter 1, Part 203 of the Tennessee Code prohibits any individual with a financial stake in an insurance company that is regulated by the Department of Commerce and Insurance from serving as insurance commissioner:
| The commissioner shall not be financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any insurance corporation subject to the supervision of the department.[3] |
Elections
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that establishes the method of selection and term limits (if any exist) for a state executive office. That information for the Tennessee Commissioner of Insurance has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify satisfactory information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Vacancies
Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 102 of the Tennessee code specifies that the insurance commissioner serves at the pleasure of the governor:
| (a) The commissioners shall be appointed by the governor for terms to expire with the beginning of the term of the governor next elected, or whenever their successors shall be appointed and qualified. (b) Each commissioner shall hold office at the pleasure of the governor.[4] |
Duties
Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 111 of the Tennessee Code specifies that the insurance commissioner serves as chief executive officer of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance:
| There shall be a chief executive officer of each of the administrative departments of state government created by § 4-3-101, which shall be as follows: ... |
Title 4, Chapter 3, Parts 1304-1306 of the Tennessee Code lay out the specific responsibilities of the Department of Commerce and Insurance, including:
- Carrying out administrative duties related to state regulatory boards,
- Regulating the safety of retirement homes, and
- Handling the state's professional certification programs.
Divisions
Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 1303 of the Tennessee Code establishes the three divisions of the Department of Commerce and Insurance as follows:[6]
- Commerce and Insurance
- Fire Prevention
- Regulatory Boards
State budget
- See also: Tennessee state budget and finances
The budget for the Division of Insurance in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 was $2,966,200.[7]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $171,744, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $171,744, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2021
In 2021, the commissioner received a salary of $161,904, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2020
In 2020, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $161,904, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2019
In 2019, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $161,904, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2018
In 2018, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $158,556, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2017
In 2017, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $158,556, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2016
In 2016, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $158,556, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2015
In 2015, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $158,556, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2014
In 2014, the commissioner received a salary of $158,556, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2013
In 2013, the commissioner received a salary of $156,216, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Tennessee Commissioner of Insurance has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
- Carter Lawrence (2020-Present)
- Hodgen Mainda (2019-2020)
- Carter Lawrence (2019)
- Julie McPeak (2011-2019)
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Tennessee Commissioner of Insurance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
500 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-0565
Phone: (615) 741-2241
E-mail: Ask.TDCI@tn.gov
See also
| Tennessee | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance on Facebook
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance on YouTube
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance in Twitter
- RSS news feed
Footnotes
- ↑ State of Tennessee, "Department of Commerce and Insurance, Insurance Division," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ LexisNexis, "Tennessee Code Title 56, Chapter 1, Part 2," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ LexisNexis, "Tennessee Code Title 56, Chapter 1, Part 203," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Lexis-Nexis, " Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-3-102," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Lexis-Nexis, " Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-3-111," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Lexis-Nexis, " Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-3-1303," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Tennessee.gov, "Tennessee House Bill 2973," accessed January 23, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States, 2020," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 28, 2014
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