Legislature(2025 - 2026)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/11/2025 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB111 | |
| SB102 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 111 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 102 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 26 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 102-ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
1:48:26 PM
CHAIR MERRICK reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 102 "An Act exempting the state
from daylight saving time; and providing for an effective date."
CHAIR MERRICK invited the chair of the Senate State Affairs
Standing Committee and his staff to introduce the committes
bill.
1:48:48 PM
SENATOR SCOTT KAWASAKI, District P, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, introduced SB 102 on behalf of the Senate State
Affairs Committee, as chair. He stated that SB 102 would exempt
Alaska from observing daylight saving time. Daylight saving time
is traditionally observed between the second Sunday in March and
the first Sunday in November. While Alaska has observed daylight
saving time since 1966, SB 102 proposes switching the state to
permanent standard time. He said this change would provide
mental and physical health benefits, strengthen Alaska's
economy, and eliminate the need for residents to change their
clocks twice each year. He noted that Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto
Rico, Guam, and other U.S. territories have already exempted
themselves, and many states, including Washington and Oregon,
have introduced similar legislation this year.
SENATOR KAWASAKI expressed appreciation to the sponsor of the
other bill, related to standard time, for recognizing the health
benefits associated with ending daylight saving time. He said
the American Academy of Sleep Medicine agrees that switching
between standard time and daylight saving time increases risks
to physical health, mental health, and public safety. He stated
that both permanent standard time and permanent daylight saving
time have advantages for Alaska, given its northern location.
1:50:57 PM
JOE HAYES, Staff, Senator Scott Kawasaki, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, delivered a presentation on SB 102,
on behalf of the Senate State Affairs Committee, Senator
Kawasaki, Chair.
1:51:07 PM
MR. HAYES moved to slide 2, History of Daylight-Saving
Time (DST):
[Original punctuation provided.]
History of Daylight-Saving Time (DST)
• Germany was first country to implement DST in 1916
• US followed suit but repealed DST a year later
• During WWI and WWII many countries temporarily
implemented DST
• By 1965, time zones were erratic across the US
• Extra hour of daylight reduced energy usage of
electric lighting and heating
• Almost all non-Western countries have since moved to
standard time
1:51:56 PM
MR. HAYES moved to slide 3, Negative Effects of Changing Clocks:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Negative Effects of Changing Clocks
• Shifting sleeping hours twice a year disrupts
circadian rhythm
• Reduces cerebrovascular and cardiovascular health
• Increases traffic accidents and workplace injuries
• Increases substance abuse and mental health disorders
• Circadian Misalignment
• American Economic Association estimates social cost of
$275 million annually
1:52:30 PM
MR. HAYES moved to slide 4, Daylight Saving Time vs Standard
Time, the comparison section of the presentation.
MR. HAYES moved to slide 5, Daylight Saving Time:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Daylight Saving Time
• 1974 Energy Crisis
• 79 percent approval -> 42 percent approval
• Energy is no longer saved
• Incandescent Lights
• Federal Law
• Arizona, Hawaii, 5 US Territories
MR. HAYES reviewed the slide, noting that the 1974 energy crisis
drove strong public support for daylight saving time. He said
public support has since fallen to about 42 percent, in part
because of the energy saving impact of modern lighting. He said
under federal law, Arizona, Hawaii and 5 U.S. territories
switched to standard time.
1:52:58 PM
MR. HAYES moved to slide 6, Standard Time:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Standard Time
• More light in the morning improves physical and mental
health
• Metabolic disorders, depression, cardiovascular disease
risk decrease
• Permanent Standard Time is supported by many groups
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine
• European Sleep Research Society
• Centre for Economic Policy Research
• Doesn't require congressional amendments
1:53:29 PM
MR. HAYES moved to the map graphics on slide 7, depicting how
standard time preserves morning light, whereas permanent
daylight time makes sunrise too late.
1:53:40 PM
MR. HAYES moved to photos on slide 8, comparing morning road
visibility in Fairbanks on January 27 under daylight saving time
and under standard time. He noted that a graphic on the slide
illustrates how standard time aligns more closely with the sun,
while daylight saving time forces earlier waking.
1:54:09 PM
MR. HAYES read from a March 6 news article, reporting that
President Trump would not push for permanent daylight saving
time because public opinion is evenly split. He quoted the
President, "It's a 50-50 issue and if something is a 50-50 issue
it is hard to get excited about it ... I assume people would
like to have more light later, but some people want to have more
light earlier because they don't want to take their kids to
school in the dark. It's something I can do, but a lot of people
like it one way. A lot of people like it the other way ... It's
very even. And usually I find when that's the case, what else do
we have to do?"
MR. HAYES expressed his belief that a national bill would not be
enacted because the President, who initially supported the idea,
had changed his position.
1:55:35 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR observed that northern Alaska and even the
Interior differ so greatly from the rest of the country that
this debate does not even really apply. He said there are parts
of the state where the sun goes down in December and does not
rise again until January or February. Even the Interior has very
long daylight hours in the summer and very long periods of
darkness in the winter. He stated that, for him personally,
whether there is more daylight in the morning or evening is less
significant than the seasonal time change itself. He said,
unless he is mistaken, the health effects of the changeover are
well categorized and are extremely negatively impactful on
Alaska's population. He asked if that was a fair
characterization.
1:56:41 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI confirmed that was the case. He stated that
multiple studies show the time change itself, whether requiring
people to wake earlier and lose sleep or adjusting to the extra
evening light, is the most disruptive factor. Because of
Alaska's northern latitude, even in Juneau the state is
currently gaining five minutes of daylight per day, amounting to
a half-hour difference each week. He noted that on Sunday
morning it was still fairly dark, yet within a week the change
will be barely noticeable. The effect is even more pronounced
further north, with Anchorage gaining more daylight than Juneau
and Fairbanks gaining about seven minutes per day. He agreed
that, due to its geographic position, daylight saving time has
minimal impact on Alaska either way.
1:57:59 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR observed that, if his math was correct, Fairbanks
would gain as much daylight in nine days as it does from the
"spring forward" shift of daylight saving time.
1:58:08 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI agreed, noting that nine days at seven
additional minutes of daylight per day equals 63 minutes, just
over an hour.
1:58:17 PM
CHAIR MERRICK thanked the presenters. She said her constituents
feel passionately about this issue.
1:58:30 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR said it is an exhausting issue.
[SB 111 was held in committee.]