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SB1488 • 2026

Flags

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-1-406, relative to flags.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Powers, Lankford
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Passed H., Ayes 98, Nays 0, PNV 0
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included claims about immediate effect and application to people who work or visit the capitol building, which are not supported in the provided official source material.

Tennessee Flag Law for Pearl Harbor Day

This bill requires that flags flown over the Tennessee state capitol building be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on December 7th each year in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires any flag flown over the Tennessee State Capitol Building to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on December 7th every year.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Anyone flying a flag over the Tennessee State Capitol Building

Terms To Know

half-staff
The position of lowering a flag to show respect, usually halfway down the pole.
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
A day set aside each year on December 7th to remember and honor those affected by the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii during World War II.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only applies to flags at the Tennessee State Capitol Building, not other locations in the state.
  • It does not specify what happens if it is cloudy or dark when the flag should be lowered.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 98, Nays 0, PNV 0

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  5. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2026

  6. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  7. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  8. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/13/2026

  9. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  10. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  11. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/8/2026

  12. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/8/2026

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  15. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  16. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  17. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026

  19. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  20. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026

  21. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026

  22. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  23. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/4/2026

  24. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  25. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  26. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  28. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 2/18/2026

  29. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  31. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 2/12/2026

  32. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  33. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  34. 2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/3/2026

  35. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  36. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  37. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  38. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  40. 2025-12-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  41. 2025-12-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1463
By Lankford

SENATE BILL 1488
By Powers

SB1488
010595
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-
1-406, relative to flags.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-1-406, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(c) Each December 7, any flag flown over the state capitol building must be
flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset in observance of Pearl Harbor Remembrance
Day.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming law, the public welfare requiring it.