Senate Bill S297

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    297
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. OBERACKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN  ACT to establish a task force to study the effects of New York state
   opting out of daylight saving time

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. a. A task force, to be known as the task force on daylight
 saving time, is hereby established to study  the  effects  of  New  York
 state  opting  out  of  daylight  saving  time. Such task force shall be
 comprised of appropriate state agency personnel and experts in the field
 of daylight saving time.
   b. The task force shall be comprised of:
   (i) two members appointed by the governor;
   (ii) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
   (iii) two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
   (iv) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and
   (v) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
   c. The task force shall:
   (i) examine and evaluate the potential health  risks  associated  with
 daylight saving time, such as heart attack;
   (ii)  identify  the  potential  effects  of daylight saving on morning
 activities;
   (iii) establish whether the act of changing clocks  twice  a  year  is
 economically and/or socially disruptive;
   (iv) identify the potential effects of daylight saving time on traffic
 and crime;
   (v)  establish whether daylight saving time currently provides a bene-
 fit to this state;
   (vi) examine the history of daylight saving time;
   (vii) examine any relevant studies on daylight saving time;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01115-01-5
 S. 297                              2
 
   (ix) evaluate the positions and potential legislation from neighboring
 states and the federal government on daylight saving time;
   (x) identify regulations that are affected by daylight saving time and
 that would be affected by the elimination of daylight saving time; and
   (xi)  make  recommendations  on  whether  this state should opt out or
 continue to utilize daylight saving time.
   d. Such task force shall submit a report, on or before April 1,  2026,
 to  the  governor  and  the legislature of its findings, conclusions and
 recommendations, and legislative and regulatory proposals deemed  neces-
 sary to implement such recommendations.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.