What's happening
This bill would make daylight saving time the year-round standard time in New York if neighboring states do the same.
Why it matters
Would eliminate the biannual clock changes. in New York, potentially reducing health risks and confusion associated with switching between standard time and daylight saving time.
Links New York’s adoption to neighboring states. , meaning the law only takes effect if Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania also make daylight saving time their year-round standard—this aims to avoid time-zone confusion in the region.
Contingent on a change in federal law. , as permanent daylight saving time is currently not allowed nationwide; the bill only takes effect if federal law permits states to make this switch, highlighting ongoing debates about state versus federal authority over time standards.
Could impact business operations, public safety, and daily routines. , as permanent daylight saving time would mean later sunrises and sunsets in winter, potentially affecting school schedules, commuting safety, and energy usage patterns.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Keep Daylight Saving Year-Round
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to rules
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9077
IN SENATE
October 30, 2020
Introduced by Sen. GRIFFO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the general construction law and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing daylight saving time as the year-round standard time in the state and in the city of New York
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 52 of the general construction law, as amended by chapter 377 of the laws of 1955, is amended to read as follows:
§ 52. Time, standard. [1.] The standard time throughout this state is [that of the seventy-fifth meridian of longitude west from Greenwich, except as hereinafter provided, and all courts and public officers, and legal and official proceedings, shall be regulated thereby.
2. At two o'clock ante meridian on the last Sunday in April of each year the standard time throughout this state shall be advanced one hour from that of the seventy-fifth meridian of longitude west from Greenwich, and the time so advanced shall continue to be standard time throughout this state until the last Sunday in October of the same year, when such standard time, as so advanced, shall be retarded to that of the seventy-fifth meridian west from Greenwich; and during such period in each year all courts and public officers, and legal and official proceedings, shall be regulated in accordance therewith] the time as determined by 15 USC sections 260 to 267, except that the state observes year-round the provisions of 15 USC 260a providing for the advancement of time, commonly known as eastern daylight saving time if federal law permits the year-round observation of eastern daylight time.
§ 2. Section 2-106 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:
§ 2-106 Daylight saving time; effect thereof on public proceedings. The standard time throughout the city of New York is [that of the seventy-fifth meridian of longitude west from Greenwich, except that at two o'clock ante-meridian of the last Sunday in April of each year such standard time throughout the city shall be advanced one hour, and at two
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD17521-03-0
S. 9077 2
o'clock ante-meridian of the last Sunday in October of each year, such standard time shall, by the retarding of one hour, be returned to the mean astronomical time of the seventy-fifth meridian of longitude west from Greenwich, and all courts, public offices and legal and official proceedings shall be regulated thereby] the time as determined by 15 USC sections 260 to 267, except that the city observes year-round the provisions of 15 USC 260a providing for the advancement of time, commonly known as eastern daylight saving time if federal law permits the year-round observation of eastern daylight time.
§ 3. This act shall take effect upon the enactment into law by the states of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania of legislation having an identical effect with this act, but if the states of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania shall have already enacted such legislation, section one of this act shall take effect immediately; provided that the secretary of state shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of the enactment of the legislation provided for in section one of this act in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general construction law and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing daylight saving time as the year-round standard time in the state and in the city of New York
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to establish Daylight Saving Time as the standard time throughout the year for New York State.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the general construction law to establish the observa- tion of eastern daylight time year-round.
Section 2 amends the administrative code of the city of New York to establish the observation of eastern daylight time year-round.
Section 3 marks the effective date, which is contingent upon the enact- ment of similar legislation in the neighboring states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
Justification
Currently, states are only permitted to exempt themselves from observing Daylight Saving Time, not establish its permanence. This bill, should it become law, would allow the state to establish Daylight Saving Time as the permanent year-round time, contingent upon the repeal of the federal law establishing Daylight Saving Time.
There is active federal legislation to abolish Daylight Saving Time; however, studies show that it is the transition out of Daylight Saving Time which leads to an increase in car accidents, causes more on-site work incidents, and disrupts the health of all who are subject to this time change.
This bill would, once there is a repeal of the federal law establishing Daylight Saving Time, allow New York to enter into a compact with neigh- boring states to establish Daylight Saving Time as the state's year- round time.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect upon the enactment into law by the states of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania of legislation having an identical effect with this act.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.