HOUSE BILL NO. 31 "An Act relating to daylight saving time; and providing for an effective date." 9:56:34 AM Acting-Chair Josephson noted that it was the second hearing for HB 31. 9:56:47 AM AT EASE 9:57:09 AM RECONVENED Acting-Chair Josephson asked the members if they had questions. Representative Carpenter asked to briefly explain why he chose Daylight Savings Time (DST) over Standard Time. Vice-Chair Ortiz replied that there had been discussions both nationwide and in Alaska regarding ending changing clocks in the spring and fall. He relayed that his constituents preferred longer daylight time in the summer evenings mostly for economic reasons such as tourism and fishing. Currently, Alaska had long daylight hours. He offered the bill in support of his constituents. Representative Carpenter asked if there was any analysis whether children would benefit from the change or if families preferred morning daylight. He wondered whether there was a dilemma about whether the time change would affect children and families negatively. Vice-Chair Ortiz observed that children were already going to school in the dark in his district. If HB 31 passed, children would go home with daylight hours remaining. He was unaware of any studies about being able to go to school in the light versus the dark. 10:02:10 AM Representative Rasmussen asked when the tourism business started in Southeast Alaska. Vice-Chair Ortiz answered that it began in early May. Representative Rasmussen observed that given how much daylight was experienced by May, she was unsure if an additional hour was necessary for extending tourist activities. Vice-Chair Ortiz remarked that extending daylight into the summer impacted tourism later in the season. He noted that the tourism season was solid until around the 24th of September and businesses were impacted in their ability to do flight seeing and ocean activities; they were curtailed due to lack of daylight. He noted that typically cruise ships stayed in Ketchikan until 10:00 P.M. 10:05:04 AM Acting-Chair Josephson asked if the proposal meant Alaska would still remain four hours from New York. Vice-Chair Ortiz answered that part of the year the state would have a three hour difference and part of the year it would be at a four hour difference. Acting-Chair Josephson asked if the state would be on Seattle time. Vice-Chair Ortiz answered in the affirmative but noted that the bill would be enacted when several West Coast states adopted permanent DST that also had to be approved by the federal government. 10:06:07 AM Acting Chair Josephson opened public testimony. JAY PEA, PRESIDENT, SAVE STANDARD TIME, SAN FRANCISCO (via teleconference), opposed the bill for several reasons. He pointed out that in federal law, the Uniform Time Act, Title 15 forbade permanent Daylight Savings Time, and it could not be implemented without federal approval. Permanent Standard Time was pre-approved by the federal government. He underlined that Arizona, Hawaii, and all 5 US territories avoided the biannual time change by staying on permanent Standard Time. He spoke to the health issues. He maintained that many studies showed that permanent daylight time impacted health and stated that some countries tried it to ill effects. He voiced that permanent daylight time was like "forcing ourselves to wake earlier in the dark." He discussed current sunrises and sunsets in Anchorage and did not think the extra evening daylight was necessary. He did not support the legislation. 10:09:11 AM DR. ANDREW BINDER, SLEEP SPECIALIST, CALIFORNIA (via teleconference), opposed the legislation. He acknowledged that it was universally agreed that many people loathed the biannual time change. He stated that it created sleep disorders. He listed some reasons his patients hated changing clocks. He declared that permanent Daylight Savings Time was a crime against human physiology. People suffering with insomnia and mood disorders were exacerbated by waking in the dark and needed to sleep more on weekends. The bodys internal clock was set by sunlight. He believed that it was dangerous for adolescents who were prone to circadian misalignment. He opined that Arizona and Hawaii lacked problems with tourism. He doubted there was a sleep specialist who would defend permanent DST. He supported permanent Standard Time. Acting Chair Josephson CLOSED public testimony. Representative Rasmussen commented that the bill would move daylight to 11:00 A.M. in Anchorage in the winter. She did not want her kindergarten aged son to have morning recess in the dark at 10:45 A.M. She did not support the concept. HB 31 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. Acting Chair Josephson notified members amendments for both bills heard during the meeting were due as soon as possible. He recessed the meeting [the meeting never reconvened].