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WASHINGTON — A new bill introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, Wednesday would give states power to decide if they will continue observing daylight saving time.
The bill, H.R. 6331, also known as the Daylight Act, would also make it easier for states to decide to maintain daylight saving time year-round and keep observing it as is. It would amend the Uniform Time Act of 1966 — the bill that created a uniform use of daylight saving time — by making four adjustments to it.
The bill “simply allows states the freedom to pursue one of these three options,” Bishop said, in a statement. “This bill will not force any action nor compel a state to take any action. Quite simply, this gives people the flexibility to do what they want.”
Arizona and Hawaii remain the only states that don’t observe daylight saving time, which was first used in the U.S. during World War I 100 years ago. Since then, it was used off-and-on and wasn’t standardized until the 1966 Uniform Time Act.
Many states, including Utah, have tried to change time since that bill was passed. Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, and Norm Thurston, R-Provo, proposed a resolution in the 2018 legislative session that would have moved Utah into the Central Time Zone and then remove the state from observing daylight saving time.
The resolution, however, failed to pass through the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee in February.
Bishop argued his bill is “a no-brainer” for students of federalism.
“The range of industry and lifestyle is so varied across our country, it only makes sense for states to have the ability to set their watches the way they best see fit,” he said.
