03/18/2025 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

              SB  26-ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:35:59 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK announced  the consideration of SENATE  BILL NO. 26                                                               
"An   Act   petitioning   the   United   States   Department   of                                                               
Transportation to change the time  zones of Alaska; exempting the                                                               
state from daylight  saving time; and providing  for an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MERRICK  said that her  constituents are  staunch opponents                                                               
of time change.  She mentioned that SB 26 models  a bill proposed                                                               
by  former Senator  Anna  MacKinnon,  whose daylight-saving  time                                                               
bill advanced further than others.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:36:33 PM                                                                                                                    
KERRY  CROCKER,  Staff,  Senator   Kelly  Merrick,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, introduced SB 26  and presented the                                                               
sectional analysis on behalf of the sponsor.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  CROCKER  stated that  Alaskans  have  voiced concerns  about                                                               
daylight saving  time (DST)  and  the state's  time  zone for  25                                                               
years.  The  Alaska  State Legislature  has  introduced  thirteen                                                               
bills  on the  subject.  He  explained that  SB  26  proposes  to                                                               
address these issues through two key provisions:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
- No More Clock Flip Flop                                                                                                       
  Section 1  would  permanently eliminate  DST, meaning  Alaskans                                                               
  would no  longer  "spring forward   or "fall  back.  The  state                                                               
  would  stay  on one  time  all  year.  It would  keep  mornings                                                               
  brighter  in the  winter and  eliminate  biannual clock  change                                                               
  confusion. He drew attention to the first sections of SB 26 and                                                               
  SB 102, noting that they are identical.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
- A Time Zone Tune-Up                                                                                                           
  Section 2 would petition the  U.S. Department of Transportation                                                               
  to place  all of  the state  within the  Pacific Standard  Time                                                               
  (PST) zone. He explained that all of Alaska is currently in the                                                               
  Alaska Time Zone. SB 26 proposes to  change this, it would sync                                                               
  Alaska with the  West Coast, making managing  business, travel,                                                               
  and TV schedules easier.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  CROCKER  said  that the  proposed  exemption  from  daylight                                                               
saving time, in Section 1, would  take effect only if the federal                                                               
government approves the change to PST  by January 1, 2035. If the                                                               
request  is denied,  Alaska's time  zone would  remain unchanged.                                                               
The  official   petition  in  Section   2,  would   be  submitted                                                               
immediately.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. CROCKER said the bottom line is that SB 26 aims to simplify                                                                 
Alaska's timekeeping, eliminate annoying clock changes, and make                                                                
life easier for Alaskans.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:38:22 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. CROCKER presented the sectional analysis for SB 26:                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
      Section 1. Amends AS 44.12 - Exemption from Daylight                                                                    
     Saving Time (AS 44.12.400)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
        • Exempts the state of Alaska from the observation                                                                      
          of daylight-saving time (DST).                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
      Section 2. Amends the Uncodified Law of the State of                                                                    
    Alaska   -   Petition   to   the   US   Department   of                                                                   
     Transportation to Change Alaska's Time Zone                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
        • Directs the Alaska State Legislature to formally                                                                      
          petition   the   United   States   Department   of                                                                    
          Transportation  (USDOT) to  move the  entire state                                                                    
          to the Pacific Standard Time (PST) zone.                                                                              
        • Requests the USDOT to initiate proceedings under                                                                      
          the Uniform Time Act of 1966.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Section 3. Conditional Effect of Section 1                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
        • States that Section 1 (the exemption from DST)                                                                        
          will  only take  effect  if the  USDOT places  the                                                                    
          entire   state  of   Alaska  within   the  Pacific                                                                    
          Standard Time zone on or before January 1, 2035.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section 4. Immediate Effect of Section 2                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
        • Provides that Section 2, which initiates the                                                                          
          petition  to the  USDOT, takes  effect immediately                                                                    
          upon the passage of the Act.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section 5. Effective Date of Section 1                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
        • Specifies that if Section 1 (the exemption from                                                                       
          DST) takes effect, it will  do so on the effective                                                                    
          date of  the placement of  all of Alaska  into the                                                                    
          Pacific Standard Time zone by the USDOT.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:39:45 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  MERRICK asked  why the  passage of  Section 1  alone would                                                               
create problems for commerce in Alaska.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR.  CROCKER replied  that industries  such as  tourism, banking,                                                               
and travel face challenges when  operating in a time zone further                                                               
removed from  New York  and the  West Coast. He  said that  SB 26                                                               
aims to address this issue.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MERRICK found no further questions.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
[SB 26 was held in committee.]