Frank Niceley is Right on Important issues
Supporting Local Farmers & Agriculture
Niceley has done more to deregulate local food production and distribution than anyone in the past 15 years, enabling family farms and local artisans to have a better chance to make a living. His list of accomplishments since 2009 includes:
2009 (HB 720)
Sponsored bill legalizing the distribution of raw milk through herdshare agreements. In 2012, Niceley followed up on that bill by getting an Attorney General’s opinion that it was legal to distribute other raw dairy products through a herdshare agreement as well.
2012
Got an Attorney General’s opinion that farmers didn’t need a permit to sell eggs from their own farm.
2014 (SB 1707)
Sponsored a bill adopting the federal poultry exemption enabling farmers to process up to 20,000 birds a year. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has since expanded the exemption by policy to include processing rabbit meat on the farm. Before the bill passed, Tennessee had one of the worst regulatory climates for on-farm poultry processing in the country; during that time, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) received a call from a poultry farmer in Bristol, Tennessee, getting ready to move across the state line to Bristol, Virginia, because he was so fed up with the restrictive laws and policies on on-farm poultry processing.
2017 (SB 343)
Sponsored a bill adopting the federal exemption on custom slaughter and the exemption on non-amenable species. The latter exemption allows the sale of meat from animals such as bison and domestically raised deer that are slaughtered and processed at a custom facility.
2017 (SB 651)
When WAPF chapter leader, Michele Reneau, (now running for state representative) was threatened with prosecution because the food buyers club she co-managed did not have a permit, Niceley passed a bill exempting food buyers clubs from licensing and regulation.
2017
Received Attorney General’s opinion stating that there can be an unlimited number of owners for an animal slaughtered and processed at a custom facility and that entities such as a food buyers club can be an owner of such a custom animal.
2019 (SB 358)
Sponsored bill legalizing sales of raw butter by licensed dairies.
2020 (SB 2049)
Sponsored a bill requiring that any meat labeled as a product of Tennessee must be from an animal that was born and raised in the state.
2020 (SJR 841)
Sponsored a resolution commending the Weston A. Price Foundation for its 50-50 Campaign urging people to spend at least 50% of their food budget buying direct from the farm.
2022 (SB 693)
Sponsored the Tennessee Food Freedom Act legalizing the unlicensed unregulated sale from homemade food producers of food that does not require time and temperature control for safety, including fermented foods; these sales can be direct to consumers and also by some third parties such as food buyers clubs and grocery stores.
2023 (SB 123)
Sponsored the bill to establish a State Meat Inspection program in Tennessee; like many states, Tennessee has a shortage of federally inspected slaughterhouses, especially in the eastern half of the state.
2024 (SB 1914)
Sponsored a bill providing for vending machines with whole milk in the schools, giving children a more nutritious option while still preserving federal funding for Tennessee’s school lunch program. The federal rule that withdraws funding from Washington if whole milk is served in a school lunch has worsened children’s health and the economic condition of the dairy industry.
Niceley’s work impacts the local food movement around the rest of the U.S. as well. The first thing legislators typically ask when a constituent requests that they introduce a bill is: “Has this been done elsewhere?”
The senator has introduced and helped pass a number of bills that were law in few, if any, states outside Tennessee. In the 2024 session, he helped pass a bill defining and regulating as a drug any food that contained “a vaccine or vaccine material.”
Legislation he introduced this past session includes: a constitutional resolution to protect the individuals right to grow and acquire the food of their choice (SJR 902); a bill that would have barred any prohibition on the growing of produce and the raising of chicken or meat rabbits on a residential lot (SB 1761); a bill that would have exempted farms from any vaccine mandate for their livestock or poultry, if the farms’ practice was not to vaccinate their livestock or poultry (SB 2543); and legislation that would have prohibited cell-cultured meat from being defined as “meat” (SB 2603).
Legislation sponsored as State Representative for District 17:
2005/2006 (104th General Assembly)
2007/2008 (105th General Assembly)
2009/2010 (106th General Assembly)
2011/2012 (107th General Assembly)
Legislation sponsored as State Senator for District 8:
2013/2014 (108th General Assembly)
2015/2016 (109th General Assembly)
2017/2018 (110th General Assembly)
2019/2020 (111th General Assembly)
Protecting Tennessee's Borders
Frank Niceley is leading the charge on a bill aimed at prohibiting foreign nations from acquiring farmland and enterprises in Tennessee. Additionally, he has joined efforts to bolster property owners’ rights and counter squatters’ rights in the state by co-sponsoring related legislation.
Economic Growth
Frank Niceley remains steadfast in his advocacy for low taxes and streamlining government bureaucracy. He recognizes the vital role that roads play in fostering economic growth and has taken the lead in enhancing road infrastructure across the 8th District as a member of the Transportation Committee. Moreover, Frank Niceley has championed measures to provide increased tax exemptions for small businesses and eliminate business property taxes for numerous Tennessee enterprises, further supporting economic development.
Education
Frank Niceley was among the first to endorse Tennessee Promise, a program providing two years of tuition-free community college or trade school for each high school graduate in the state, effectively reducing tuition by half at in-state universities. Additionally, he advocates for granting communities the option to revert to elected school superintendents. According to Frank Niceley, restoring this practice could mitigate many of the issues currently plaguing our schools, stating, “we wouldn’t see a lot of the nonsense we do today if we continued electing our school superintendents.”
Healthcare
As a member of the Commerce and Labor Committee, Frank Niceley backed Tennessee’s achievement in securing a block grant from the federal government for TennCare. This grant provides the state with increased flexibility in delivering healthcare services to its residents, enhancing the breadth and quality of care available.
Law and Order
The influx of illegal border crossings has placed significant pressure on Tennessee’s law enforcement. Frank Niceley staunchly advocates for reinforcing our resolve to counter sanctuary cities in Tennessee, aiding law enforcement in mitigating the repercussions of the federal government’s failure to secure our southern border.
While the 8th District boasts some of Tennessee’s most efficient judges and district attorneys, this standard isn’t consistent statewide. Frank Niceley supports initiatives empowering communities to hold judicial systems accountable, particularly in high-crime regions across Tennessee.