Tennessee Code Title 8. Public Officers and Employees § 8-31-102

(1)(A) “Governmental entity” means a state agency, authority, board, commission, department, or office within the executive or judicial branch of state government or any autonomous state agency, authority, board, commission, department, office, or institution of higher education; provided, that “governmental entity” does not include an agency or office of the legislative branch; and

(B) The receipt of funding from various state, federal, or local governmental sources, including county or municipal funding, does not change the status of a state agency as a state governmental entity or office under this chapter or otherwise exclude the state agency from the definition of “governmental entity” under subdivision (1)(A);