§ 4-1-401 — Standard time - Observation of advancement of time - Observation of year-round daylight savings time

(a) There shall be observed in each and every part of this state only standard time as fixed for such area by the United States department of transportation. No town, city, municipal corporation, taxing district, county or other governmental subdivision shall possess power to adopt permanently or temporarily or from time to time any other standard of time to be observed than as prescribed by this subsection (a). All municipal ordinances, resolutions or other forms of enactment by any body of the nature mentioned in this subsection (a) in conflict with this section are hereby nullified and made of no effect, whether enacted prior or subsequent to the effective date of this section. (b) No person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity operating or maintaining a place of business of whatsoever kind or nature shall employ, display or maintain or use any other standard of time in connection with such place of business than standard time as prescribed by this section. No radio or television station doing business in this state shall operate on, announce, employ, display, maintain or use any other standard of time than standard time as prescribed by this section. (c) Whoever shall in connection with any place of business of whatsoever kind or nature employ, display, announce, operate on, maintain or use any other than standard time as prescribed by this section commits a Class C misdemeanor. Each day of such violation constitutes a separate offense. (d) (1) This state shall observe the advancement of time provided in 15 U.S.C. § 260a at all times throughout the year, and daylight saving time will be the standard time of the entire state and all of its political subdivisions upon compliance with the following conditions: (A) The United States congress amending or repealing 15 U.S.C. § 260a to authorize states to observe daylight saving time year round; (B) The commissioner of transportation certifying in writing to the speakers of the senate and the house of representatives the congressional action described in subdivision (d)(1)(A); and (C) The general assembly, by joint resolution, confirming the congressional action described in subdivision (d)(1)(A) and authorizing the implementation of the state's observation of daylight saving time year round. (2) The observation of year-round daylight saving time will begin the first Sunday of November following compliance with the requirements of subdivision (d)(1).

Legislative History

Amended by 2019 Tenn. Acts, ch. 416,s 1, eff. 5/21/2019. Acts 1949, ch. 5, § 1; C. Supp. 1950, § 5755.33 (Williams, § 11.1); Acts 1957, ch. 260, § 1; modified; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 4-113; Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 113.