Griffo pushes to make daylight saving time permanent in New York State

The day after New Yorkers turned their clocks back one hour due to daylight saving time ending, New York State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-I-C-Rome, said today that he is introducing a bill that that would make daylight saving time the permanent standard of measurement in New York.

Sen. Griffo’s bill would go into effect following the passage of similar legislation by neighboring states. The Senator is reaching out to fellow legislators in states bordering New York to solicit their interest in introducing similar bills in their respective legislatures.

Originally started in 1918 as a way to conserve energy, daylight saving time was made permanent following the enactment of the federal Uniform Time Act in 1966. As a result, most Americans advance their clocks by an hour in the warmer months so that it gets dark later and move their clocks back an hour in the fall. All states except for Hawaii and Arizona, as well as several U.S. territories, follow daylight saving time.

Full-time daylight saving time is not allowed by federal law and would require an act of Congress to make a change, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thirteen states (Arkansas, Delaware, Maine, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming) have enacted legislation that would provide for year-round daylight saving time if Congress were to allow such a change, according to the conference. Currently, there are bills in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that would address this issue.

Research and studies have indicated that moving clocks forward one hour in the spring and back in the fall can negatively affect the safety, health and well-being of the public. Observing daylight saving time year round can lead to energy savings and reductions in crime and traffic accidents and increased economic activity, which helps businesses and the economy.

“It’s time to turn the page on changing our clocks twice a year and, given the similar interests of New York and contiguous states, it makes sense to do so regionally,” Sen. Griffo said. “I am looking forward to working with my legislative colleagues in other states to make permanent daylight saving time a reality in the Northeastern United States.”