TN BRFSS + YRBSS data collection (Department of Health)

Thank you for contacting the Tennessee Department of Health. By copy of this email, I am sharing your email with the appropriate team member to address your inquiry.

Best regards.

Good afternoon Kent,

The Department is in receipt of your request on April 22, 2022. You have requested the following, as numbered:

1. All emails and written correspondence between the Tennessee Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health, regarding Tennessee determining whether or not it will move forward with administering the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
2. All emails and written correspondence between the Tennessee Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health, regarding Tennessee determining whether or not it will move forward with administering the Tennessee Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS).

In order to proceed with item 1 above, please submit a copy of your government-issued photo identification to this email address Bill.Christian@tn.gov<mailto:Bill.Christian@tn.gov>. This identification is requested in accordance with the Tennessee Open Records Act and the Department's Open Records Policy. The Tennessee's Public Records Act states that "[a]ll state, county and municipal records shall, at all times during business hours, . . . be open for personal inspection by any citizen of this state, and those in charge of the records shall not refuse such right of inspection to any citizen, unless otherwise provided by state law." T.C.A. § 10-7-503(a)(2)(A). Additionally, the Department requires any person making a request for records to present a government-issued photo identification and provide proof of Tennessee citizenship. T.C.A. § 10-7-503(a)(7)(A)(vi); See, Public Records Policy of the Tennessee Department of Health: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/2021-Public-Records-Requests.pdf. A copy of your Tennessee driver's license will satisfy this requirement.

Also, the request should be "sufficiently detailed" so that the Department can identify the specific records you are seeking. Tenn. Code Ann. §10-7-503(a)(4). For example, the request should include a date range and specify the employees or officials relative to your search.

With respect to item 2, the Department would not have any records "between the Tennessee Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention". You may contact the Tennessee Department of Education for records of this nature, https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/legal/TDOE_public_Records_Request_Form.pdf.

Thanks, Bill

[cid:image001.png@01D858A9.584FC610]
Bill Christian | Associate Director
Office of Communication & Media Relations
Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243
p. 615-741-2308
Bill.Christian@tn.gov<mailto:Bill.Christian@tn.gov>
tn.gov/health<http://www.tn.gov/health>
Connect with TDH on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/TNDeptofHealth> and Twitter<https://twitter.com/TNDeptofHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor> @TNDeptofHealth!

Kent,

Thank you for the updated information regarding this records request. Please also submit proof of Tennessee citizenship for this request. The department requires a requestor to provide a copy of their government-issued identification for each request.

Thanks, Bill

[cid:image001.png@01D85BA6.FCAEC300]
Bill Christian | Associate Director
Office of Communication & Media Relations
Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243
p. 615-741-2308
Bill.Christian@tn.gov<mailto:Bill.Christian@tn.gov>
tn.gov/health<http://www.tn.gov/health>
Connect with TDH on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/TNDeptofHealth> and Twitter<https://twitter.com/TNDeptofHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor> @TNDeptofHealth!

Good afternoon Kent,

I’m following on this. Please submit proof of Tennessee citizenship for this request.

Thanks, Bill

[cid:image001.png@01D85BA6.FCAEC300]
Bill Christian | Associate Director
Office of Communication & Media Relations
Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243
p. 615-741-2308
Bill.Christian@tn.gov<mailto:Bill.Christian@tn.gov>
tn.gov/health<http://www.tn.gov/health>
Connect with TDH on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/TNDeptofHealth> and Twitter<https://twitter.com/TNDeptofHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor> @TNDeptofHealth!

Kent,

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[cid:image001.png@01D8644B.0B0A7870]
Bill Christian | Associate Director
Office of Communication & Media Relations
Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243
p. 615-741-2308
Bill.Christian@tn.gov<mailto:Bill.Christian@tn.gov>
tn.gov/health<http://www.tn.gov/health>
Connect with TDH on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/TNDeptofHealth> and Twitter<https://twitter.com/TNDeptofHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor> @TNDeptofHealth!

Good afternoon Kent,

It has been more than 10 business days since you received the attached cost estimate for your records request submitted to the department on March 16, 2022. This request is now considered closed.

Thanks, Bill

[cid:image001.png@01D855A7.3E9A2B20]
Bill Christian | Associate Director
Office of Communication & Media Relations
Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243
p. 615-741-2308
Bill.Christian@tn.gov<mailto:Bill.Christian@tn.gov>
tn.gov/health<http://www.tn.gov/health>
Connect with TDH on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/TNDeptofHealth> and Twitter<https://twitter.com/TNDeptofHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor> @TNDeptofHealth!

Hi Kent,

We have received two separate records request from you. On 3/17/22 you submitted a records request on the “Human Life Protection Act” HOUSE BILL 1029 and Senate Bill 1257. I’ve attached the original request that you sent to the TN.Health@tn.gov<mailto:TN.Health@tn.gov> inbox that was later shared with our communications office and the cost estimate I sent you on 4/29/22 for that request. We continue to work on your other records request regarding TN BRFSS + YRBSS data collection submitted on 4/22/22 and will provide a cost estimate as soon as possible.

Thanks, Bill

[cid:image001.png@01D86B9F.7EDAF300]
Bill Christian | Associate Director
Office of Communication & Media Relations
Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243
p. 615-741-2308
Bill.Christian@tn.gov<mailto:Bill.Christian@tn.gov>
tn.gov/health<http://www.tn.gov/health>
Connect with TDH on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/TNDeptofHealth> and Twitter<https://twitter.com/TNDeptofHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor> @TNDeptofHealth!

Good afternoon Kent,

Thank you for providing a copy of your government-issued identification and clarifying your request for the following records:

All emails and written correspondence between the Tennessee Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health, from the date range of Jan. 1, 2022, to April 28, 2022, regarding Tennessee determining whether or not it will move forward with administering the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Employees or officials relative to this search include, but are not limited to: Lisa Piercey, Valerie Nagoshiner, Lindsay Levoy Hathcock Jr., Kristyn Whaley, Latisha Garrett, Elizabeth Hart, Vanessa Lefler, JW Randolph, LaShan Dixon, Jill C Obremskey, Morgan McDonald, and John Webb.

No records exist in direct response to your request “regarding Tennessee determining whether or not it will move forward with administering the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)”. However, the attached records are provided since they relate to the department’s correspondence with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the BRFSS grant.

The department has adopted the Schedule of Reasonable Charges established by the Office of Open Records Counsel, Tenn. Code Ann. §10-7-503(a)(7)(B), Tenn. Code Ann. §8-4-604, Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-35-01-.05(1) and https://comptroller.tn.gov/content /dam/cot/orc/ documents/oorc/policies-and-guidelines/ScheduleofReasonableCharges.pdf<https://comptroller.tn.gov/content%20/dam/cot/orc/%20documents/oorc/policies-and-guidelines/ScheduleofReasonableCharges.pdf>. It took approximately one hour to collect the records for this request, and, in accordance with the Schedule of Reasonable Charges, the attached records are provided to you free of charge. Please note, you may be charged for copies of records if you make a future public records request.

This request is completed and the matter is closed.

Thank you.

[cid:image001.png@01D879AB.47FEF790]
Bill Christian | Associate Director
Office of Communication & Media Relations
Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243
p. 615-741-2308
Bill.Christian@tn.gov<mailto:Bill.Christian@tn.gov>
tn.gov/health<http://www.tn.gov/health>
Connect with TDH on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/TNDeptofHealth> and Twitter<https://twitter.com/TNDeptofHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor> @TNDeptofHealth!