Tennessee Senate Bill SB1488

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 12/16/25
• Engrossed: 2/12/26
• Enrolled: 4/15/26
• Passed: 4/27/26
• Chaptered: 5/4/26

Caption

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

Summary

SB1488 amends Tennessee law governing flags flown over the state capitol building. The bill requires that each December 7, any flag flown over the capitol be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset in observance of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It adds this requirement as a new subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 4-1-406, which addresses flag-related observances and protocols. The measure is narrow and ceremonial in scope, focusing on a single annual commemorative observance rather than changing broader flag policy. It applies specifically to flags flown over the state capitol building and establishes a mandatory half-staff observance on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The act takes effect upon becoming law, reflecting the legislature’s intent for immediate implementation. The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It advanced through the Senate State & Local Government Committee unanimously and later passed floor votes with strong support, including a final third-reading passage vote of 97-0. The voting history suggests general agreement across both chambers on honoring Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in this manner. There is little evidence of substantive opposition or debate in the available record. Because the bill concerns a symbolic state observance and does not impose regulatory or fiscal burdens, any contention would likely have been limited to procedural matters rather than policy disagreement. The recorded votes indicate that lawmakers viewed the proposal as a straightforward commemorative measure.

Impact

SB1488 updates Tennessee Code Annotated Section 4-1-406 by adding a new requirement for flags flown over the state capitol building to be flown at half-staff every December 7 from sunrise to sunset. This creates a specific statutory observance for Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and applies to state capitol flag displays, affecting the officials responsible for managing those flags and ensuring compliance with ceremonial flag protocol.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment around SB1488 was strongly positive and respectful, consistent with a commemorative measure honoring Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Committee and floor votes were overwhelmingly favorable, with no recorded opposition in committee and unanimous final passage on third consideration. The bill appears to have been viewed as a routine, bipartisan act of remembrance rather than a controversial policy change.

Contention

No notable policy contention is reflected in the available materials. The bill’s subject matter is limited to a ceremonial flag observance at the state capitol, and the voting record shows broad consensus. Any discussion would likely have centered on the appropriateness of mandating half-staff observance for Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, but the record does not show disagreement or organized opposition.