Legislative Record

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Justin Lafferty has represented Tennessee House District 89, which includes part of Knox County, and has served in the Tennessee General Assembly through the 111th, 112th, 113th and 114th General Assemblies.

 

During the 114th General Assembly, Representative Lafferty sponsored 148 bills and two House resolutions. He also co-sponsored 107 resolutions. The legislation covers a broad range of subjects, including state government, education, health care, insurance, public safety, transportation, regulatory oversight, professional licensing and other areas of state law.

 

State Government and Regulatory Oversight

 

A significant portion of Representative Lafferty's 114th General Assembly sponsorship record involved Tennessee's system of boards, commissions and state agencies.

He sponsored numerous bills extending or modifying the statutory authority of state entities under Tennessee's sunset-review process. These included measures concerning the Department of Economic and Community Development, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation, Tennessee Higher Education Commission and numerous professional and regulatory boards.

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He also sponsored legislation concerning administrative procedure.

HB 0285, which became Public Chapter 307, addressed the continuation of certain permanent administrative rules that otherwise would have expired in June 2025.

HB 0286 proposed periodic training for state agency heads concerning compliance with Tennessee's Regulatory Flexibility Act.

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Education

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Education has been one area of Representative Lafferty's legislative activity.

Among his sponsored legislation was HB 1323, which became Public Chapter 328 and made changes to certain teacher-licensure requirements. He also sponsored HB 1608, which became Public Chapter 890 and extended the Tennessee Council for Career and Technical Education to June 30, 2027. 

Other education-related legislation in his record includes HB 1228, concerning publication of the Tennessee Board of Regents' tenure policy, and HB 1615, which extended the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to 2030.​

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Health Care and Professional Licensing

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Representative Lafferty has sponsored legislation involving health care facilities, health professions and professional licensing. 

HB 0819 became Public Chapter 887 and revised Tennessee law concerning the operation of acute-care hospitals. 

HB 0865 became Public Chapter 435 and addressed admission to practical-nursing programs at public institutions governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, as well as eligibility to take the NCLEX-PN examination.

His sponsorship record also includes legislation involving professional licensing boards and interstate professional compacts.

 

Insurance

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Insurance legislation has also been part of Representative Lafferty's legislative record.

HB 2503 became law and authorized health-insurance entities to offer short-term limited-duration plans and hospital-indemnity coverage on the marketplace. His broader sponsorship record includes legislation involving the Tennessee insurance regulatory system and the state's insurance committee.

 

Public Safety and Criminal Justice

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Representative Lafferty has sponsored legislation involving criminal justice, public safety and law-enforcement procedures.

HB 1273 became Public Chapter 780 and clarified Tennessee law concerning credible threats of mass violence on school property or at school-related activities.

HB 1229 became Public Chapter 319 and removed the requirement that a claimant post a bond when filing a claim to seized property in certain civil asset-forfeiture proceedings.

HB 1024 proposed increasing the state's burden of proof in civil asset-forfeiture proceedings from a preponderance of the evidence to clear and convincing evidence; the bill was taken off notice in committee.

 

Transportation and Infrastructure

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Representative Lafferty has also sponsored legislation concerning Tennessee's transportation system.

HB 1224 proposed a Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations study of overall road safety, with recommendations to legislative committees concerning transportation. The measure was assigned to the Transportation Subcommittee.

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He also sponsored HB 0283, which extended the Tennessee Transportation Modernization Board to June 30, 2029.

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Constitutional and Legislative Resolutions

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In addition to bills, Representative Lafferty sponsored two House resolutions during the 114th General Assembly.

HR 0156 recognized the 20th anniversary of LuLu's Tea Room, while HR 0191 recognized legislative intern Makayla Paris. Both were signed by the Speaker of the House.

Representative Lafferty also co-sponsored numerous joint resolutions addressing memorials, public service, education, constitutional matters and statements of legislative intent.

Among them was HJR 0053, which proposed an amendment to Article I, Section 26 of the Tennessee Constitution concerning the right to keep and bear arms. The resolution was taken off notice in the Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee.

He also co-sponsored HJR 0180, which urged the federal government to streamline the legal immigration process. That resolution was signed by the Governor.

 

A Record of Legislative Service

Representative Lafferty's legislative record includes legislation affecting state agencies and regulatory boards, education and career and technical education, health care and professional licensing, insurance, public safety, transportation and other areas of Tennessee law.

The Tennessee General Assembly maintains the official record of legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Representative Lafferty, including each bill's legislative status and final disposition.