Tennessee Code Title 3. Legislature § 3-3-106

(a) In order to expedite and efficiently perform its duties, any such committee, unless otherwise ordered and directed by the house or houses for which such committee may be acting, may appoint and designate out of its own membership, a subcommittee or subcommittees, to consist of one (1) or more of the members of such committee.

(b) Such subcommittee or subcommittees, when so designated and directed by such committee, and subject to such restrictions as the committee may impose, shall be and are authorized and empowered, on behalf of such committee, and on behalf of the house or houses of the general assembly for which such committee has been authorized to act, to proceed with the work and investigations of such committee, including the assembling of desired information and data, and the subpoenaing and taking of testimony of witnesses, and having a record thereof made, for the later use of such committee and the house or houses of the general assembly for which such committee has been authorized to act.

(c) Any such subcommittee or subcommittees, when acting in pursuance of the orders and directions of the committee from whose membership they have been selected, shall have and possess all the power and authority conferred by this chapter upon the committee from the membership of which such subcommittee has been designated, and any person or witness failing to obey a subpoena to appear and testify and produce any evidence, documentary or otherwise, before such subcommittee, is guilty of contempt, and may be dealt with therefor, as provided in § 3-3-111 in respects to all persons or witnesses subpoenaed to appear and appearing before any committee. Any such person or witness subpoenaed to appear or appearing before any such subcommittee who makes default in respect of such appearance, the giving of testimony or the production of any evidence, documentary or otherwise, before any subcommittee, commits a criminal offense, and upon indictment, trial and conviction therefor, shall be punished by fine and imprisonment, in all respects as provided in § 3-3-112 in regard to offending persons or witnesses subpoenaed to appear or appearing before any committee as set out and declared in §§ 3-3-112--3-3-114 and 3-3-120.