TN Alert - Vote YES on HB 1155 to Prohibit Lab-Grown Meat Sales [Subcmte 3/18/26]

Protect Tennesseeans from Lab Grown Meat

Tell House Subcommittee to Vote YES on HB 1155

House Bill 1155 (HB 1155 will have a hearing in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee on Wednesday, March 18th. This bill would ban the selling of a “cell cultured food product” in Tennessee.

ACTION TO TAKE

Call and email members of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee and ask them to vote YES on HB 1155. Contact Information for each member is listed below. Include where you live in Tennessee when making calls or sending emails. The Talking Points below can be used in your messages.

Find your legislators by enter your address here.

You may copy/paste the entire block to email the full committee:

rep.greg.martin@capitol.tn.gov; rep.justin.jones@capitol.tn.gov; rep.tom.stinnett@capitol.tn.gov; rep.monty.fritts@capitol.tn.gov; rep.rebecca.alexander@capitol.tn.gov; rep.chris.todd@capitol.tn.gov; rep.greg.vital@capitol.tn.gov; rep.johnny.shaw@capitol.tn.gov; rep.rusty.grills@capitol.tn.gov

TALKING POINTS:

1. Lab-grown meat has no long-term history of human consumption. Traditional meat has been safely consumed for thousands of years, while cultivated meat is a novel product with limited real-world dietary exposure. Because this technology is new, there is little long-term data on how regular consumption may affect human health.

2. Cultivated meat is produced using complex growth media that may introduce new substances into the food supply. Animal cells grown in laboratories must be fed specialized nutrient solutions containing amino acids, sugars, vitamins, and growth factors, many of which are bioengineered. Critics argue that residues from these substances or their metabolic byproducts could remain in the final product, and their long-term health impacts are not yet fully understood.

3. The production process carries contamination and manufacturing risks that differ from traditional meat production. Because cultivated meat is produced in sterile bioreactor systems without an immune system to protect the cells, contamination from bacteria, fungi, or endotoxins can spread quickly through a culture batch. This requires strict industrial controls and introduces new food safety considerations for regulators.

WAPF will send out future alerts on HB 1155 as events warrant.

CONTACT INFORMATION

House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee members’ phone numbers

Chair Greg Martin 615-741-2548 rep.greg.martin@capitol.tn.gov

Rep. Justin Jones 615-741-2184 rep.justin.jones@capitol.tn.gov

Rep. Tom Stinnett 615-741-3560 rep.tom.stinnett@capitol.tn.gov

Rep. Monty Fritts 615-741-7658 rep.monty.fritts@capitol.tn.gov

Rep. Rebecca Alexander 615-741-2251 rep.rebecca.alexander@capitol.tn.gov

Rep. Chris Todd 615-741-7475 rep.chris.todd@capitol.tn.gov

Rep. Greg Vital 615-741-3025 rep.greg.vital@capitol.tn.gov

Rep. Johnny Shaw 615-741-4538 rep.johnny.shaw@capitol.tn.gov

Rep. Rusty Grills 615-741-0718 rep.rusty.grills@capitol.tn.gov