Tenn. Code § 49-1562
A retired member or beneficiary may, for personal reasons and without disclosure thereof, apply to the board of trustees to suspend for any period payment of all or any part of the allowance otherwise payable to him under the provisions of the Tennessee state teachers' retirement system. The board, on receipt of such application, shall provide the applicant with a form to be completed and returned to the board and upon receipt thereof, the board shall authorize such suspension, in which event the retired member or beneficiary shall be considered to have forfeited all rights to the amount of allowance so suspended but shall retain the right to have the full allowance otherwise payable to him reinstated as to future monthly payments upon written notice to the board of his desire to revoke his prior request for a suspension under this section.
T.C.A. § 49-1562