HARRISBURG – The Senate State Government Committee approved a resolution today urging Congress to make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the practice of twice-yearly time changes.
The resolution, introduced by Senator Scott Martin (R-13), would help reduce the negative consequences of changing the clocks each spring and fall, including an increase in accidents, health problems and a loss of productivity of more than $400 million annually.
Eliminating the transition between standard time and daylight saving time would require action at the federal level.
“Changing the clocks is an archaic practice that hurts our communities far more than it helps,” Martin said. “We see more heart attacks, strokes and car accidents in the weeks following the time change. It is far past time to put an end to this practice and support a healthier and more productive Pennsylvania.”
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, legislative bodies have considered at least 450 bills and resolutions in recent years to establish year-round daylight saving time as soon as federal law allows it.
Arizona and Hawaii are currently exempt from time changes resulting from daylight saving time, while exemptions from standard time have been proposed in Maine, Massachusetts and Florida.
Many believe daylight saving time began to help farmers, but this is a misconception. The practice began temporarily during World War I as a fuel-saving measure and was reinstated briefly during World War II. It was made a permanent fixture for most American states and territories when President Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
CONTACT: Jason Thompson