Tennesseans are expected to turn clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. local time on Nov. 1 because the Sunshine Protection Act remains stalled in the Senate. Tennessee’s 2019 law for permanent daylight saving also requires federal approval and a formal General Assembly opt-in.
The House passed the act with bipartisan support earlier this summer. The Senate had not scheduled a vote after returning Sept. 14 from a five-week recess; another recess was due to start Oct. 5, leaving little time before Nov. 1. The bill also needs the president’s signature.
Nineteen states have enacted laws for permanent daylight saving, but they cannot take effect until Congress authorizes it. If Tennessee adopts year-round daylight saving, the Dec. 21 sunrise and sunset in Memphis would shift one hour later, from 7:04 a.m. and 4:52 p.m. to 8:04 a.m. and 5:52 p.m.
