STATE NEWS — Daylight Saving Time (where clocks fall back one hour) takes place on Sunday, November 3 and despite a new state law, Tennesseans will need to adjust their clocks. The “lost” hour of sleep in the spring and “gained” hour of sleep in the fall can throw off some people’s schedules. It can also complicate timekeeping and disrupt travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and some computer software.

The State General Assembly passed the new Daylight Savings Time law in April. The bill aimed to “spring forward” permanently. However, Congress needs to passed the Uniform Time Act of 1996, before the change become official. That bill would establish a system of uniform times across the nation.

History of United State time zones

In 1883, U.S. and Canadian railroads adopted a four-zone time zone system to replace the some 100 conflicting locally-established “sun times” observed in terminal spread throughout both countries. States then adopted one of the the four times zones (eastern, central, mountain, and Pacific) based on the nearest railroad depot.

It wasn’t until 1918, that Federal oversight of time zones began with the Standard Time Act, which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission with the responsibility for establishing boundaries between the standard time zones in the continental United States. Congress transferred that duty to the Department of Transportation (DOT) when it was created in 1966.

Until and unless Congress passes the Uniform Time Act, Tennesseans will still need to change their clocks twice a year. For more information, visit the Department of Transportation website by clicking here. •

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