State RegulationsTN specificDifficulty 3/5
Which statement best describes how an investigation under T.C.A. § 56-6-120 relates to a hearing under T.C.A. § 56-6-112 in Tennessee's regulatory process?
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why C is correct
In Tennessee's framework, the investigation under T.C.A. § 56-6-120 is the fact-finding phase: the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance looks into suspected violations. If the facts warrant action, the matter moves to the hearing stage under T.C.A. § 56-6-112, where the licensee can respond before the Commissioner enters an order. Keeping the phases straight matters because each serves a different function — discovery of facts versus adjudication of them.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) The order is reversed: investigation is the front end of the process, and any hearing follows the facts it uncovers.
- B) The hearing is the formal stage at which positions are presented and an order can issue; the investigation is the preliminary fact-gathering.
- D) Investigation and hearing are distinct phases with distinct purposes; treating them as labels for one proceeding misses how the process actually runs.
Memory hook
Investigate to find facts, hear to test them — investigation feeds the hearing, not the reverse.