67th Legislature SJ 17.1
1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 17
2 INTRODUCED BY B. BENNETT
3
4 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF
5 MONTANA URGING CONGRESS TO ALLOW MONTANA TO ENACT YEAR-ROUND DAYLIGHT SAVING
6 TIME.
7
8 WHEREAS, Montana observes daylight saving time from March until November, which comprises two-
9 thirds of the year; and
10 WHEREAS, the United States Congress first adopted daylight saving time in 1918, although Congress
11 soon changed its mind, and the concept was only locally observed until World War II; and
12 WHEREAS, preserving daylight saving time would allow us to maintain light deep into the summer
13 evenings, which benefits tourism, businesses, and all Montanans; and
14 WHEREAS, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine stated in a 2020 report that "[a]n abundance of
15 accumulated evidence indicates that the acute transition from standard time to daylight saving time incurs
16 significant public health and safety risks, including increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events, mood
17 disorders, and motor vehicle crashes."
18 WHEREAS, schools depend on light in the evenings for sports and other extracurricular events, which
19 daylight saving time provides; and
20 WHEREAS, in 1966, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which established time
21 zones and dates of observance for daylight saving time; and
22 WHEREAS, the Uniform Time Act did permit states to stay on standard time and to not observe
23 daylight saving time, but it did not permit states to stay on daylight saving time; and
24 WHEREAS, only the United States Congress through a public law or the federal Department of
25 Transportation through a regulation may allow Montana to maintain year-round daylight saving time; and
26 WHEREAS, recently 13 states, including Idaho, Wyoming, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Utah,
27 Arkansas, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, and Florida, have approved new laws providing
28 for year-round daylight saving time if authorized by the United States Congress.
-1- Authorized Print Version – SJ 17
67th Legislature SJ 17.1
1
2 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
3 THE STATE OF MONTANA:
4 (1) That Montana should have the choice of adopting permanent daylight saving time.
5 (2) That the federal government should allow states to observe permanent daylight saving time
6 through legislation in the United States Congress or the adoption of a regulation through the United States
7 Department of Transportation.
8 (3) That the Secretary of State send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the
9 Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of
10 the United States House of Representatives, the United States Secretary of Transportation, and to each
11 member of the Montana Congressional Delegation.
12 - END -
-2- Authorized Print Version – SJ 17