HOUSE BILL NO. 744

By Representative West

Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 1085

By Senators Haynes, Dixon

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 11, relative to the Department of General Services.

WHEREAS, the Tennessee Tower, formerly known as the National Life Insurance Building and later as the American General Building, has for many years spelled out community service messages for holidays and local non-profit organizations and causes through its pattern of lighted and darkened windows; and

WHEREAS, the building messages have become an important tradition for all Nashvillians and are considered to be a vital part of the Nashville night skyline; and

WHEREAS, those building messages have provided invaluable promotional assistance to local non-profit organizations and community events; and

WHEREAS, the State of Tennessee officially took ownership on January 1, 1997, and has announced it will cease providing messages for at least two and one-half years; now, therefore,

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 11, is amended by adding a new section thereto, as follows:

Section ___. The Commissioner of General Services shall, whenever practicable, provide the lighting patterns of the Tennessee Tower in Nashville for holidays and for appropriate messages from local non-profit organizations and causes.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.