TCA 39-13-803
Part definitions
VIOLATIONViolation
What does this charge mean?
This section defines key terms used in the terrorism laws, including "act of terrorism" (acts intended to intimidate civilians or coerce government) and "weapons of mass destruction." It does not create a criminal offense itself but provides definitions for the terrorism statutes.
Penalty Details
ClassificationViolation
Penalty SummaryViolation
As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) “Act of terrorism” means an act or acts constituting a violation of this part, any other offense under the laws of Tennessee, or an act or acts constituting an offense in any other jurisdiction within or outside the territorial boundaries of the United States that contains all of the elements constituting a violation of this part or is otherwise an offense under the laws of such jurisdiction, that is intended, directly or indirectly, to: (A) Nerve agents, including, but not limited to:(i) Ethyl NN- dimethylphosphoramidocyanidate (Tabun, or GA). See Tennessee Code 39-13-803Coercion: means a threat, however communicated, to:(A) Commit any offense. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106Government: means the state or any political subdivision of the state, and includes any branch or agency of the state, a county, municipality or other political subdivision. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106Intentional: means that a person acts intentionally with respect to the nature of the conduct or to a result of the conduct when it is the person's conscious objective or desire to engage in the conduct or cause the result. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.Property: means anything of value, including, but not limited to, money, real estate, tangible or intangible personal property, including anything severed from land, library material, contract rights, choses-in-action, interests in or claims to wealth, credit, admission or transportation tickets, captured or domestic animals, food and drink, electric or other power. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106Services: includes labor, skill, professional service, transportation, telephone, mail, gas, electricity, steam, water, cable television, entertainment subscription service or other public services, accommodations in hotels, restaurants or elsewhere, admissions to exhibitions, use of vehicles or other movable property, and any other activity or product considered in the ordinary course of business to be a service, regardless of whether it is listed in this subdivision (a)(38) or a specific statute exists covering the same or similar conduct. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Training: means instruction or teaching designed to impart a specific skill, as opposed to general knowledge. See Tennessee Code 39-13-803United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Weaponized biological or biologic warfare agents: include , but are not limited to, weaponized pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, rickettsia, yeasts, fungi, or genetically engineered pathogens, toxins, vectors, and endogenous biological regulators (EBRs). See Tennessee Code 39-13-803(A) Intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (B) Influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion; (C) Affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination, torture, kidnapping, or mass destruction; or (D) Serve as a premeditated, politically motivated act of violence, or violence in pursuit of religious, ideological, or social objectives, perpetrated against first responders, including law enforcement officers, correctional officers, department of correction employees, probation or parole officers, paramedics, firefighters, or other emergency medical rescue workers acting in their official capacity, which results in loss of life, in which case it must be prosecuted and sentenced under § 39-13-202; (2) “Biological warfare agents” mean agents intended for use in war or other attack to cause disease or death in humans, animals, or plants that depend for their effect on multiplication within the target organism, and includes, but is not limited to, the following agents, or any analog of these agents: (A) Bacteria (i)Bacillus anthracis (anthrax); (ii)Bartonella quintana (trench fever); (iii)Brucella species (brucellosis); (iv)Burkholderia mallei (glanders); (v)Burkholderia pseudomallei (meliodosis); (vi)Franciscella tularensis (tularaemia); (vii)Salmonella typhi (typhoid fever); (viii)Shigella species (shigellosis); (ix)Vibrio cholerae (cholera); (x)Yersinia pestis (plague); (xi)Coxiella burnetii (Q fever); (xii)Orientia tsutsugamushi (scrub typhus); (xiii)Rickettsia prowazeki (typhus fever); (xiv)Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain spotted fever); (xv)Chlamydia psittaci (psittacosis); (xvi)Clostridium botulinum (botulism
View on official sourceLast verified: Feb 25, 2026
Quick Facts
VIOLATION
TCA Section39-13-803