A Division of Litson PLLC

Year-round strategic advocacy for regulated industries in Tennessee.

Direct lobbying, legislative intelligence, and regulatory guidance at the Tennessee General Assembly, led by Director Kelley Hess.

Start a conversation What we do
What We Do

Full-spectrum advocacy, in session and out.

Litson Government Relations integrates communications, legal strategy, regulatory compliance, and direct legislative engagement under one roof at Litson PLLC.

Direct lobbying

Representation before the Tennessee General Assembly: lobbying members on the client’s behalf, bill sponsor coordination, committee testimony preparation, committee vote counts, and year-long strategy.

Legislative intelligence & tracking

Real-time monitoring and priority-level tracking of every bill that touches your industry or business, with alerts and reporting you can act on.

Grassroots mobilization

Campaign planning and execution that turns members, customers, and communities into an organized voice in the policy process.

Regulatory guidance

Rulemaking comments, agency engagement, and compliance guidance coordinated with Litson’s legal and regulatory team.

Bipartisan relationship management

Long-standing working relationships on both sides of the aisle, maintained year-round rather than assembled when a bill drops.

“We don’t just monitor legislation; we move it.”

Current Work

Tennessee Medical Cannabis · Summer Study

HB0390 / SB0459 went to summer study in March. Our free 8-page briefing walks through the framework: patient eligibility, licensing, workplace protections, and reciprocity.

Update · July 2026Hearing dates are coming into focus: the afternoon of September 15 and all day September 16. Both are still tentative and not yet confirmed.

Read the briefing
Track Record

A Giles County family’s case became a unanimous act of the Tennessee General Assembly.

The Parental Rights Protection Act passed both chambers without a single dissenting vote.

LGR carried the Parental Rights Protection Act from a single family’s story to enacted law, coordinating sponsors, preparing committee testimony, and tracking votes through both chambers of the General Assembly. Governor Lee signed the bill on April 16, 2026, and it took effect the same day.

Now codified at Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-8-103(h), the law requires an expedited hearing within 15 calendar days for any bond condition restricting a parent’s contact, custody, or visitation with a minor child, and sets a clear-and-convincing evidence standard before such a condition can stand.

Unanimous

passage in both the House and Senate.

15 days

the new statutory window for an expedited hearing.

Apr 16, 2026

signed by Governor Lee and effective the same day.

Read about the Parental Rights Protection Act
Why LGR

A lobbying practice built inside a law firm.

01

Deep Tennessee roots

Nearly two decades of hands-on legislative experience and bipartisan credibility at every level of the Tennessee General Assembly.

02

Integrated advocacy model

Legal, lobbying, and communications functions coordinate under the Litson PLLC umbrella, so messaging stays consistent and strategy stays legally sound from day one.

03

Bipartisan relationships & coalitions

Eighteen years of cross-party relationships and a proven record of building coalitions that move difficult legislation.

04

Strategic network

Long-standing working relationships with committee chairs, leadership, and agency decision-makers, amplified by a trusted statewide grassroots network.

05

Proven results

Demonstrated success navigating complex and politically sensitive legislation across healthcare, agriculture, criminal justice, and regulatory reform.

18 years

of legislative and government relations experience at the Tennessee General Assembly.

19,000+

public comments mobilized during a single statewide rulemaking for the Tennessee hemp industry.

One team

Advocacy coordinated with Litson’s litigation practice, including a legal injunction obtained against a state agency.

Kelley Hess, Director of Litson Government Relations
The Director

Kelley Hess

Director · Litson Government Relations

A 7th-generation Tennessean with 18 years of legislative experience inside the Tennessee General Assembly.

Kelley began her career as a legislative assistant, then advanced to advocacy roles with the Tennessee Medical Association and physician specialty groups, developing deep expertise in healthcare policy. She has established and managed political action committees, led complex advocacy campaigns, and built coalitions across professional organizations, advocacy groups, and business leaders.

Partnering with Litson’s litigation team, Kelley has secured key results for clients in highly regulated industries, including a legal injunction against a state agency and more than 19,000 public comments mobilized during statewide rulemaking. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Tennessee State University with a certificate in Healthcare Administration.

Over her career, Kelley has helped pass, amend, or defeat countless pieces of legislation, neutralizing harmful legislation to a client’s industry or business before it becomes law.

Read Kelley’s full bio Kelley@litson.co 615-985-8205
Contact

Start the conversation.

Tell us what the legislature or a state agency means for your business this year. We’ll walk you through how we’d approach it, what we’d track, and what engagement would look like session to session.

Email Kelley Hess Call 615-985-8205