SB  26-ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:43:57 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI 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."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:44:14 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  KELLY MERRICK,  District  L,  Alaska State  Legislature,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska, sponsor  of SB  26 said  this legislation  would                                                               
permanently  exempt Alaska  from daylight  savings time  and seek                                                               
federal approval to move the  state to Pacific Standard Time. She                                                               
described it  as the more practical,  responsible option compared                                                               
to SB 102, noting it has  strong backing from tourism and banking                                                               
industries for providing consistency and long-term benefits.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:46:30 PM                                                                                                                    
KERRY  KROCKER,  Staff,  Senator   Kelly  Merrick,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided  the sectional analysis for                                                               
SB 26:                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       Sectional Analysis                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     "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."                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
      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 United States 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                                                                    
          of  Alaska  to  the Pacific  Standard  Time  (PST)                                                                    
          zone.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
        • Requests the USDOT to initiate proceedings under                                                                      
          the Uniform Time Act of 1966, following the                                                                           
          procedural requirements for changing time zones.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     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.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:47:20 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. KROCKER continued with the sectional analysis of SB 26:                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     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.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:47:58 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI held SB 26 in committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:48:23 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on SB 26; he found none                                                                  
and kept public testimony open.