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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A bill that would do away with daylight savings time (DST) in Tennessee is advancing in the House.
Sponsored by Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County-District 73), House Bill 1300 as amended would end the twice yearly changing of clocks that Tennesseans currently practice as they go from standard time to DST and back again.
The bill passed in the House Public Service Subcommittee on Tuesday in a unanimous vote and now heads to the House State and Local Government Committee where it is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday, March 18th, 2026.
Should the legislation succeed, those in the Volunteer State would no longer “spring forward” into DST, but remain on standard time all year long starting next year.
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a trigger law in 2019 that would allow the state to observe DST all year in the event that the United States Congress passed a measure to allow states to have that ability. To date, no such law has been enacted which leaves states with the option of exempting themselves from DST only as Arizona, with the exception of the Navajo Nation, and Hawaii have done.
According to a press release, Todd says, “Keeping standard time year-round will provide consistency, improve health and productivity, and better align our schedules with natural daylight.”
The observation of DST is well known for negatively impacting the health of Americans, with the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes increasing once clocks are changed.
Following the spring shift, traffic accidents and injuries in the workplace also increase.
Permanent standard time is supported by sleep specialists and endorsed by every major sleep society, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Contact information for members of the House State and Local Government Committee may be found below.
The companion bill will also be heard in the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026. Find contact information for members of the Senate Committee below also.
House State and Local Government Committee – HB1300 to be heard on Wednesday, March 18
HB1300 would end the twice yearly changing of clocks that Tennesseans currently practice as they go from standard time to DST and back again.
Rep.john.crawford@capitol.tn.gov; rep.dave.wright@capitol.tn.gov; rep.rush.bricken@capitol.tn.gov; rep.ed.butler@capitol.tn.gov; rep.michele.carringer@capitol.tn.gov; rep.jesse.chism@capitol.tn.gov; rep.vincent.dixie@capitol.tn.gov; rep.rick.eldridge@capitol.tn.gov; rep.dan.howell@capitol.tn.gov; rep.michael.lankford@capitol.tn.gov; rep.tom.leatherwood@capitol.tn.gov; rep.mary.littleton@capitol.tn.gov; rep.greg.martin@capitol.tn.gov; rep.jake.mccalmon@capitol.tn.gov; rep.larry.miller@capitol.tn.gov; rep.bo.mitchell@capitol.tn.gov; rep.jerome.moon@capitol.tn.gov; rep.jason.powell@capitol.tn.gov; rep.dennis.powers@capitol.tn.gov; rep.tim.rudd@capitol.tn.gov; rep.iris.rudder@capitol.tn.gov; rep.gabby.salinas@capitol.tn.gov; rep.todd.warner@capitol.tn.gov
Senate State and Local Government Committee – SB1406 to be heard Tuesday, March 17
SB1406 would end the twice yearly changing of clocks that Tennesseans currently practice as they go from standard time to DST and back again.
Sen.richard.briggs@capitol.tn.gov; sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov; sen.tom.hatcher@capitol.tn.gov; sen.todd.gardenhire@capitol.tn.gov; sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov; sen.sara.kyle@capitol.tn.gov; sen.adam.lowe@capitol.tn.gov; sen.kerry.roberts@capitol.tn.gov; sen.jeff.yarbro@capitol.tn.gov
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
3 Responses
I strongly oppose proposals that would place Tennessee on permanent Standard Time.
Most Tennesseans work or attend school during the early morning hours when daylight would occur under Standard Time. The hours that truly matter for families and communities are the late afternoon and evening. That is when parents get home from work, kids play outside, and people are active in their neighborhoods.
Under permanent Standard Time, winter sunsets in Tennessee would occur around 4:30 p.m. That means many people would leave work and school in darkness for much of the year.
Longer daylight in the evening has real benefits. It encourages physical activity, improves mental well-being, supports local businesses, and increases safety during evening commuting hours. Studies have also shown that pedestrian accidents and certain crimes decrease when daylight extends later into the evening.
If the goal is to stop changing the clocks twice a year, that is something most people can agree on. But locking Tennessee into permanent Standard Time would move daylight into hours when many people are still indoors and take it away from the hours when families and communities are actually active.
If Tennessee is going to adopt a permanent time standard, it should be one that reflects how people live today. Later daylight in the evening simply makes more sense for our state.
DISAGREE!! Daylight sensitive entities can change their hours and leave the rest of us alone.
Thanx, emailed committees, “PLEASE vote YES!!
STOP the stupidity!
Daylight sensitive entities can change their hours and leave the rest of us alone.