Rep. William Lamberth

Maddy summaryHB 1630 amends Tennessee's workers' compensation law to allow the Bureau of Workers' Compensation to use funds from the "subsequent injury and vocational recovery fund" for costs related to implementing and maintaining a computer system. This directly affects the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, which manages workers' compensation claims and benefits. The bill updates the fund's authorized uses in Section 50-6-208(d) to explicitly include computer system costs, while also making minor procedural changes to claim filing and physician certification requirements. These changes streamline administrative processes but do not alter eligibility for benefits or compensation amounts.

Maddy summaryHB 1640 would amend Tennessee's public records law to make specific records held by the Office of Homeland Security confidential. It directly affects public access to records related to critical infrastructure security, including threat analyses, infrastructure protection plans, and responses to security threats. The bill exempts three categories of records from disclosure: those describing protected critical infrastructure, records about preventing or responding to threats against infrastructure, and records designated confidential by the commissioner. This change would prevent public requests for these specific homeland security documents under Tennessee's open records law. The bill is currently pending review by the State & Local Government Committee.

Maddy summaryHB 1317 requires Tennessee's Department of Safety to provide a copy of its annual report on ignition interlock devices to the legislative librarian, in addition to legislative committees. The report tracks offenders who have these devices installed on their vehicles and confirms whether each installation followed legal requirements. This change directly affects the Department of Safety (which must submit the report) and the legislative librarian (who will receive it). The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 55-10-418 and related transportation laws to add this reporting requirement.

Maddy summaryHB 359 increases penalties for driving without a valid driver's license in Tennessee. It upgrades a first offense from a Class C to a Class B misdemeanor and makes a second or subsequent offense within 10 years a Class A misdemeanor. The bill directly affects drivers who operate vehicles without a valid license, with penalties applying to violations occurring on or after July 1, 2025. This change amends Tennessee Code Sections 55-50-301 and related provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a joint resolution that formally congratulates Governor Bill Lee for deploying the Tennessee National Guard to assist law enforcement in Memphis. It recognizes the Governor's response to a declared emergency and acknowledges the National Guard's role in supporting the Memphis Safe Task Force, which aims to reduce violent crime through increased policing and investigations. The resolution expresses gratitude to National Guard members for their service and does not create any new laws or policy requirements. It serves as a ceremonial acknowledgment of past actions rather than establishing future obligations or changes to state operations.

Maddy summaryHB 2547 amends Tennessee law to restrict land purchases by foreign entities or sanctioned individuals. It lowers the ownership threshold requiring review from 33% to 10% for "prohibited foreign parties" controlling businesses, and explicitly includes mineral rights (oil, gas, coal, brine) and water resources in land transactions. The bill requires foreign entities to comply with new deadlines - within 60 days of January 1, 2025, or after being designated as restricted - to report or divest land holdings. Exceptions apply for entities approved by the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) or with prior national security clearances. This directly affects foreign-owned businesses seeking to purchase agricultural or non-agricultural land in Tennessee.

Maddy summaryHB 1639 creates a new Office of Homeland Security within Tennessee's Department of Safety. The office will coordinate state efforts to prevent and respond to terrorism, cyber threats, and attacks on schools, critical infrastructure, and public officials, while also assisting with election security and school safety planning. Homeland Security officers appointed under this bill will have full peace officer powers statewide, including arrest authority, and must complete standardized law enforcement training. The bill directly affects the Department of Safety, state and local law enforcement agencies, and entities responsible for protecting schools and critical infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHB 1628 requires Tennessee's Department of Tourist Development to annually confirm nonprofit or tax-exempt organizations as official regional tourism groups for each of the state's nine development districts. It mandates department approval of marketing plans before these groups can receive state matching funds, and requires organizations to prove they represent all counties in their district through mayoral letters, tourism group endorsements, or membership records. The bill establishes a 2:1 state funding match (with a $35,000 minimum annual award) for confirmed organizations that meet these requirements. These changes directly affect tourism groups seeking state funding by adding administrative steps to the confirmation and funding process.

Maddy summaryHB 1503 extends the required retention period for hemp-related records from five to ten years. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 43-27-102(c), requiring the Department of Agriculture to maintain all records created or received for hemp regulation for a decade instead of five years. This change directly affects the Department of Agriculture's record-keeping practices under hemp regulations. The bill is procedural, focusing solely on the duration of record retention with no substantive policy changes.

Maddy summaryHB 1631 enacts the "Tennessee Agricultural Fair and Livestock Show Act" to provide state funding for agricultural fairs and livestock shows across Tennessee. The bill creates two key programs: one funding cash awards (premiums) for specific categories like livestock, farm products, youth projects (including 4-H and FFA), and educational exhibits, and another awarding additional funds to top-performing fairs based on criteria such as exhibit quality, cleanliness, community participation, and programming. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture will administer these programs, disbursing state aid annually to eligible events. This bill directly affects not-for-profit agricultural fairs and livestock shows that meet the defined standards for participation.