HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

22

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to daylight saving time.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the main purpose of daylight saving time is to make better use of daylight by creating longer summer evenings.  Daylight saving time "makes the sun set" one hour later because clocks are set forward one hour in the spring.  This reduces the period between sunset and bedtime by one hour and means that less electricity is used for lighting and appliances late in the day.

     Historically, daylight saving time was a means to reduce the use of fuel for lighting, especially when fuel was necessary for other pressing matters, such as during World War I and World War II.  Studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that daylight saving time reduces the entire country's electricity usage by a small but significant amount due to less demand for lighting and appliances.

     Daylight saving time would provide other benefits including providing young trick-or-treaters with more light, and therefore, more safety from traffic accidents on Halloween; possible increased voter turnout in general elections; and less violent crime, as a study by the U.S. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration found that crime rates were consistently lower during periods of daylight saving time by as much as ten to 13 percent.

     In addition, the institution of daylight saving time in Hawaii would enable businesses to conduct more business during daylight hours and would also allow Hawaii businesses to be on the same time period as businesses on the U.S. mainland.  Thus, businesses in Hawaii would have an easier time communicating and doing business with businesses on the U.S. mainland.

     But perhaps the most important reason for observing daylight saving time is the potential for working parents to be able to spend more time outdoors with their children after work.

     On March 1, 2007, the provisions of the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 amending the daylight saving law (15 United States Code 260a(a)) came into effect.  Under the federal law, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday of March, and ends on the first Sunday of November.  Hawaii has heretofore chosen to exempt itself from the provisions of this law.

     The purpose of this Act is to institute daylight saving time in Hawaii.

    SECTION 2.  Chapter 1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

    "§1-    Daylight saving time.  The State shall observe daylight saving time as provided in Title 15, United States Code Section 260a(a), as amended."

     SECTION 3.  Section 1-30, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§1-30  Hawaiian standard time applicable.  [In] Except as provided in section 1-      , all statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, and orders relating to the time of performance of any act by any state or county officer or agency, whether in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of the government, or relating to the time within which any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not, may or may not, be performed by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the State, that time shall be Hawaiian standard time."

     SECTION 4.  Section 1-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§1-31  Hawaiian standard time; definition; observance.  Hawaiian standard time is ten hours slower than Greenwich time, based on the mean solar time of the one hundred and fiftieth degree of longitude west from Greenwich and except as provided in section 1-      , shall be the time which the entire State, including all of its political subdivisions, shall observe annually[, notwithstanding the daylight time conversion provisions of the Uniform Time Act of 1966, Public Law 89-387, 80 Statutes at Large 107]."

     SECTION 5.  Section 11-331, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:

     "(e)  To be timely filed, a committee's reports shall be filed with the commission's electronic filing system on or before 11:59 p.m. [Hawaiian standard time] on the filing date specified."

     SECTION 6.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect on March 12, 2012.

 

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Daylight Saving Time

 

Description:

Institutes daylight saving time in Hawaii.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.