WPC A|S͘MVf6Yg2gKBHO!u;M1ӆvwnOi~*CGV2()cs:sUNacas͟!(?Tƣ59 躧|eyCM > zjE'g*ZΧ5WhH0SYC^.UUg[mPڞVfM~Akxz*w}*烨B!K9R..!n>/EA,,p`8Xzl2H&p8* 4M^Tf5+dޟHd%jPX++`^s3-҄rׁmfu3_}_<-%8 WElqffUBF %  n 04K 4  w@ U>[ UF #  N  m   PU: BPPPPP D3mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm A 0PII D+ 0K AO 0D^ D/ B<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX3|x<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiXXx6X@JQX@( T$  h&  ShelbyMcMURRAYJacox TRWSaylorsRiggsbeeKeeble E[DEӀ<( 9Z &Courier Regular<09Z .Courier New RegularHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 X3XXXwXX3   Ad FILEDw   June2,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.QAppellateCourt  Clerk  ` тLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5,cAZ"Arial Regular d%%%%'dxdMPO&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK((3͸$ T!   'dxd( $ Figure  1  MC<< C($$   1  ' dxdP Pd T!   ݛ_`   7bXXdXXd7TR[A'Legal3'A' Legal3'T  Or*<,(j 8 `@Ef  tt0"H` rߛ@LLINTHECOURTOFAPPEALS@@$ `  @$ATKNOXVILLEJANETG.SEALS@*@@*)  JEFFERSONCOUNTY x  x    `     h   )  03A019808CV00269 @   PlaintiffAppellant@*) h  @*)  @*)  v.@*)  HON.REXHENRYOGLE, `  @*)  JUDGE (  @*)   P  JEFFERSONCITY,TENNESSEEand@*)   JEFFERSONCOUNTY,TENNESSEE@*)   Ѐ@*)   H    DefendantsAppellees@*)  AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED p @*CLYDEA.DUNNOFNEWPORTFORAPPELLANTJEFFREYL.JONESandSTEVENDOUGLASDRINNONOFDANDRIDGEandTERRYD.TUCKEROFJEFFERSONCITYFORAPPELLEES XbXXX@$OPINION `"     `     h      p   #XbXX Xb# XXXXbGoddard,P.J. H&% #XbXX X#   ` Theissuepresentedbythisappealiswhetheran )@ ) amendmenttoT.C.A.501304(commonlyknownastheWhistleBlowerStatute),whichbroughtemployeesoftheStateofTennesseewithinitspurview,shouldbegivenretrospectiveeffect.   ` TheTrialJudgeheldthatitshouldnot,resultinginthisappeal.   ` PlaintiffJanetG.SealswasformerlyanemployeeofJeffersonMemorialhospital,whichisoperatedasajointenterprisebyJeffersonCityandJeffersonCounty.Section4of :p1? thecomplaintaccuratelystatesthefactsnecessaryfordispositionofthisappeal: ` 4. PlaintiffwasemployedbyHospitalasa  pharmacistintheHospitalspharmacy.Duringtheearlypartof1997,plaintiffobservedcertainactivitiesandproceduresregardingtheHospitalsdispensingtopatientsofoutofdatedrugsandtheborrowingbytheHospitalofscheduledIIdrugsandotherirregularactivitieswhichwereinviolationofFederalRegulationsandinviolationofTennesseeStatutes.PlaintiffimmediatelyreportedtheviolationstotheHospitalsRiskManagementOfficer,whichpersondirectedtheplaintifftoreduceherobservationsoftheirregularitiesinwritingtotheChiefAdministratoroftheHospital.TheHospitalAdministratorthenconfrontedtheHospitalsChiefPharmacistabouttheallegationscontainedinplaintiffsreport.Twodayslater,theChiefPharmacistfiredplaintiffforreportingthelawviolationstotheAdministrator.   ` T.C.A.501304wasamendedbyaPublicAct,whichbecameeffectiveonJune13,1997,asfollows: ` (g)Asusedinthissection: ` (1) Employeeincludesanemployeeofthestate,oranymunicipality,county,department,board,commission,agency,instrumentality,politicalsubdivisionoranyotherentitythereof;and ` (2) Employerincludesalsothestate,oranymunicipality,county,department,board,commission,agency,instrumentality,politicalsubdivisionoranyotherentitythereof.Ӏ   ` Priortoadoptionoftheamendment,ourappellate P-#. courtshadheldthattheTennesseeGovernmentalTortLiabilityActdidnotremovetheimmunityofgovernmentalentitiesastocertainclaims.Jacoxv.MemphisCityBoardofEducation,604 2(4 S.W.2d872(Tenn.App.1980)(libelandslander);Montgomeryv. 30*6 MayorofCityofCovington,778S.W.2d444(Tenn.App.1988)  5+8 (retaliatoryorwrongfuldischarge);Williamsv.Williamson 6P-: CountyBoardofEducation,890S.W.2d788(Tenn.App.1994) @8.< (retaliatorydischarge). 9p0> Ї   ` Moreover,aDistrictCourtcase,Ketronv.Chattanooga `  HamiltonCountyHosp.,919F.Supp.280(E.D.Tenn.1996),which   is,ofcourse,persuasiveauthority,findsagovernmententityimmuneinacaseallegingviolationofT.C.A.501304.   ` Additionally,astoT.C.A.501304asoriginallypassed,wepointoutthatasageneralrulestatutesdonotapplytotheStateoritspoliticalsubdivisionsunlessspecificallymandated.   ` InKeeblev.CityofAlcoa,204Tenn.286,289,319  S.W.2d249,250(1958),theCourtstatedtherulethusly: ` Tennesseehaslongbeencommittedtotherulethatastate,orpoliticalsubdivisionthereof,isnotsubjecttoastatuteunlessspecificallymentionedthereinorunlessapplicationtheretoisnecessarilyimplied.ThelatestexpressionofthisruleisinDavidsonCountyv.Harmon,200Tenn.575,582,292S.W.2d777,780,inwhichanumberofTennesseecasesarecitedandfromoneofwhich,i.e.MayorandAldermenofMorristownv.HamblenCounty,136Tenn.242,188S.W.796,797,thereisquotedaPennsylvaniacase,Jonesv.Tatham,20Pa.398,asfollows:Ҁ"Thegeneralbusinessofthelegislativepoweristoestablishlawsforindividuals,notforthesovereign;and,whentherightsofthecommonwealtharetobetransferredoraffected,theintentionmustbeplainlyexpressedornecessarilyimplied."   ` CounselforMs.Sealsconcedesthat,asageneralrule,statutesarenotgivenretrospectiveeffect,Woodsv.TRW,Inc., .%0 557S.W.2d274(Tenn.1977),unlesstheyareremedial,interpretiveorprocedural.Saylorsv.Riggsbee,544S.W.2d609 2(4 (Tenn.1976).Saylorsalsoholdsthatthetestfordetermining 30*6 whetherastatuteissubstantiveorproceduraliswhetheritwoulddisturbvestedrightsorcontractualobligations.Whereitdoesnotitisconsideredremedial. 9p0>    ` InthecaseabaritisclearthatthevestedrightsoftheDefendantswouldbedisturbedbytheamendment.Notwithstandingtheforegoing,counselforMs.Sealsinsiststhattheamendmentisremedialandreliesuponitslegislativehistory,whichhefiledasapartoftherecord.   ` Astothispoint,wenotethattheSenateandHousesponsors,whenaddressingtheamendmentultimatelyadopted,statedthefollowing:@#SENATESPONSORAllofusofthisGeneralAssemblythoughtthatwhenwepassedthislanguageitsaidnoemployee,thatitmeantwhatitsaid,butapparentlytherearesomeCourtsthathavedecidedthatmeantsomeemployees.WhatthislegislationdoesintheformthatIwillpresenttoyouwiththeamendmentistomakeclearthatwhenwesaidaemployee,wemeantallemployeesandwewerenottryingtoleaveanybodyout.TherehaveapparentlybeenacoupleofcourtsthatatleastdecidedthatcountyandlocalemployeesarenotcoveredbythisandIthinkthatifwewantanybodyinparticulartobecovered,tomakesurethatillegalactivitiesarereported,itwouldbegovernmentemployees.Mr.SpeakerwiththatexplanationImove.@$HOUSESPONSORWhatthislegislationdoesismakeclearthatthewhistleblowerlawprotectionsthatextendtogovernmentemployeesalsoextendtothoseemployeesthatmaybeinalocalor(letthehousebeinorder)theseamendmentssimplyclarifythatanemployeeofagovernmentalagencythatmy[sic]bestateorlocal,whenthepositionisfundedbyfederaldollars,thattheyarelikewisecoveredbythewhistlebloweractwherebysomeonecannotberetaliatedagainstiftheyreportwrongdoingsorcriminalactionsonthepartoftheagencyandtheseamendmentsthatwereadoptedintheSenate,thatwerepresentedbytheSenatesponsor,Ithinkclarifyevenfurtherwhatwewereintendingtodo.IrenewmyMotion.Ӝ   ` Weseriouslyquestionwhethertheforegoingcouldbedeemedlegislativehistorybecauseitisthestatementofonly :81? twomembersoftheGeneralAssemblyastotheintentofthemembersofanearlierGeneralAssemblywhichpassedthestatutesoughttobeamended.Inthisregardwenotethatseveraljurisdictionshaveheldthattheopinionsofindividuallegislatorsorthetestimonyofmembersastotheintentionofthelegislationenactedinastatutemaynotbegivenconsideration.Wisemanv.MadisonCadillacCo.,88S.W.2d1007 `  (Ark.1935);Tennantv.Kuhlemeier,120N.W.689(Iowa1909); P  BoardofEducationv.PresqueIsleCountyBoardofEducation,111   N.W.2d853(Mich.1961););D&W,Inc.v.CityofCharlotte,151 p S.E.2d241(N.C.S.Ct.1966).̛ XXXXb   ` Weaccordinglyconcludethatthestatementsofthe   membersoftheGeneralAssemblydonotsupplysufficientlegislativehistorytoovercomecaselawregardingapplicabilityofstatutestogovernmentalentities.#XbXX X(# $!    ` FortheforegoingreasonsthejudgmentoftheTrialCourtisaffirmedandthecauseremandedforcollectionofcostsbelow.CostsofappealareadjudgedagainstMs.Sealsandhersurety.   `    h ______________________________ 0,",    `     h   HoustonM.Goddard,P.J.CONCUR:________________________________HerschelP.Franks,J.________________________________CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,J.̜