SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1287        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2015

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

John F. Keenan

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to Massachusetts time zones and sunshine protection.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1287        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2015

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2073 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act relative to Massachusetts time zones and sunshine protection.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 4 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 10, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 10. The standard time within the commonwealth shall be the time known and designated by the federal statute as Atlantic standard time and shall be exempted from the change to daylight savings time pursuant to the exemption provisions of the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966, 15 U.S.C. section 260(a). And in all laws, statutes, orders, decrees, rules and regulations relating to the time of performance of any act by any officer or department of the commonwealth, or of any county, city, town or district thereof, or relating to the time in which any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not be performed by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the commonwealth, and in all the public schools and in all institutions of the commonwealth, or of any county, city, town or district thereof, and in all contracts or choses in action made or to be performed in the commonwealth, it shall be understood and intended that the time shall be Atlantic standard time as changed by this section. 

SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall take effect if two or more of the following states: New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York or Maine (i) enact an agreement adopting Atlantic standard time with the commonwealth, (ii) enact legislation having an identical effect with this act, or (iii) enact laws directing a state official to request the Secretary of Transportation of the United States to place that state in the Atlantic standard time zone.

SECTION 3. Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the department of elementary and secondary education shall convene an educational task force to review the effect of school day start times for elementary school, middle school and secondary school students. The task force shall: (i) conduct a comprehensive study including, but not limited to, the impact of school start times on student academic performance, school scheduling issues, scientific and academic findings relative to the sleep needs of adolescents; (ii) schedule and hold public hearings throughout the commonwealth to ensure public input and comment; and (iii) make reasonable attempts at obtaining comments and suggestions from common stakeholders that may include teachers, students, parents of students, and education policy makers. The task force shall file a report containing its findings and recommendations, including legislation necessary to carry out its recommendations, with the joint committee on education not later than 12 months following the first meeting of the task force.

SECTION 4. Within 120 days of the effective date of this act, the governor shall petition the United States Department of Transportation to include the Commonwealth within the Atlantic standard time zone as provided for in the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966, 15 U.S.C. sections 260 to 267.