Tennessee Code Title 8. Public Officers and Employees § 8-37-210

(a) If a member other than a teacher is separated from service for reasons other than retirement or death, the amount of the member's accumulated contributions shall be paid to the member within ninety (90) days after the member's written request for such accumulated contributions.

(b) Should a member cease to be a teacher except by death or retirement under chapters 34-37 of this title, the member shall be paid upon application, made not less than four (4) months following the member's cessation of service, the amount of the accumulated contributions standing to the credit of the member's individual account in the member's fund. Any teacher who provides documentation to the satisfaction of the board of trustees that the teacher has terminated employment, is not reemployed by any employer covered by the retirement system, and is no longer residing in this state, shall be paid the amount of such person's accumulated contributions within ninety (90) days after making application for such accumulated contributions. Any teacher who has been dismissed, and the employer certifies that dismissal occurred due to budgetary problems, shall be paid the amount of such person's accumulated contributions within ninety (90) days after making application. Any teacher employed and paid on a continuous twelve-month basis shall be paid such teacher's accumulated contributions within ninety (90) days after such teacher's written request for such accumulated contributions.

(c) Distribution of a member's benefit must begin by the required beginning date, which is April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the member attains age seventy and one-half (70 1/2 ) or age seventy-two (72) if the member was born on or after July 1, 1949, as such age is extended or otherwise modified by the Internal Revenue Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder, or April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the member terminates, whichever is later. If a member fails to apply for retirement benefits by the later of either of those dates, the board shall begin distribution of the monthly benefit as required by this section in the applicable form provided in § 8-36-206.