With Daylight Savings Time ending this Sunday, November 4th, let’s take a closer look this week at the ten different bills from the last two years relating to ending Daylight Savings that have been getting a lot of clicks on BillTrack50.
Wait, what’s the issue with Daylight Savings Time?
Daylight Savings Time (DST) has been examined and studies seem to support the fact it reduces productivity and disrupts sleep, creating issues for American life and the economy. When we “spring forward” we lose an average 40 minutes of sleep; resulting in a loss of productivity – ultimately costing our economy an estimated $434 million a year. There are also connections to health issues like the extra dark mornings for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder. An Atlantic article about Daylight Savings Time says “In contemporary society, it’s not only unnecessary: It’s also wasteful, cruel, and dangerous.”
Daylight Savings has been part of of our society since President Woodrow Wilson codified it into law in 1918; following Germany and Austria’s effort to conserve fuel needed to produce electric power during World War I. In the early 1960s, observance of Daylight Saving Time was inconsistent throughout the nation and world. States decided whether or not to observe DST and there was no general agreement on when to change clocks around the country. Because of this, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 was signed by President Lyndon Johnson. This act made it law that Daylight Savings Time begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October. It also stated that any state that wants to be exempt from Daylight Saving Time could do so by passing a state law.
In 2005, President George W. Bush lengthened Daylight Saving Time by a month as part of an energy bill, stating the United State’s need to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil – harkening to its roots in existing to save energy. Another hour of daylight means potentially one hour less of using lights.
What is happening with all this legislation?
Daylight Savings Time is observed everywhere in the U.S. except Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Arizona (except the Navajo Indian Reservation does observe DST). Observance of Daylight Saving Time around the world is highly variable.
Here is a list of all of the trending bills relating to Daylight Savings from throughout the year. These bills have been proposed as a response to studies showing that changing the time zones every spring and fall is actually really bad for your health and also leads to decreased productivity. The red indicates bills that died/failed and the green indicates bills that passed.
The Bills
Our most read DST bill was NM SB239 which died, but would have made Mountain Daylight the permanent New Mexico time. The bill states “the residents and businesses of the state of New Mexico have become much more habituated to the eight months of daylight saving time per year than the four months of standard time per year; and … the biannual change of time between mountain standard time and mountain daylight saving time is disruptive to commerce and to the daily schedules of the residents of the state of New Mexico.”
FL H1013, which the Florida Legislature year overwhelmingly passed, voted to keep Daylight Saving Time year-round and was signed by Governor Rick Scott. Florida still hasn’t officially changed their time because only Congress can approve a state keeping Daylight Saving Time year-round, and that hasn’t happened.
Californians will vote in the election next week on Proposition 7, which would allow their Legislature to vote to maintain Daylight Saving Time year-round. CA AB807, which passed earlier this year, will ask voters to repeal the Daylight Saving Time Act (adopted as an initiative measure by the voters at the November 8, 1949), thus requiring the standard time within the state to be that of the 5th zone designated by federal law as Pacific standard time year round. Colorado’s bill aimed to accomplish the same thing as CA AB807, but it did not pass through the legislature so it did not make it to the ballot.
GA HR1466 aimed to create a House Study Committee to evaluate and recommend whether or not to continue or abolish Daylight Savings Time.
Conclusion.
Allowing states to chose to not adhere to Daylight Savings Time will create problems throughout the states, much like the ones that existed before the Uniform Time Act. States which do not have daylight saving time will experience difficulties with business operations (like scheduling meetings). What are your thoughts about states trying to move away from Daylight Savings Time? How do you feel about setting your clock this weekend, and again in the fall?
Cover Photo by Luis Graterol on Unsplash
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