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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2779 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3051
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Vanna Howard
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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:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/19/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2779 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3051
By Representative Howard of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3051) of
Vanna Howard relative to providing for permanent Atlantic standard time. State Administration
and Regulatory Oversight.
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:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 4 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section
210, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following
3section:-
4 Section 10. The standard time within the commonwealth shall be the time known and
5designated by the federal statute as Atlantic standard time and shall be exempted from the
6change to daylight savings time pursuant to the exemption provisions of the federal Uniform
7Time Act of 1966, 15 U.S.C. section 260(a). And in all laws, statutes, orders, decrees, rules and
8regulations relating to the time of performance of any act by any officer or department of the
9commonwealth, or of any county, city, town or district thereof, or relating to the time in which
10any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not be performed by
11any person subject to the jurisdiction of the commonwealth, and in all the public schools and in
12all institutions of the commonwealth, or of any county, city, town or district thereof, and in all 2 of 3
13contracts or choses in action made or to be performed in the commonwealth, it shall be
14understood and intended that the time shall be Atlantic standard time as changed by this section.
15 SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall take effect if two or more of the following states:
16New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York or Maine (i) enact an
17agreement adopting Atlantic standard time with the commonwealth, (ii) enact legislation having
18an identical effect with this act, or (iii) enact laws directing a state official to request the
19Secretary of Transportation of the United States to place that state in the Atlantic standard time
20zone.
21 SECTION 3. Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the department of
22elementary and secondary education shall convene an educational task force to review the effect
23of school day start times for elementary school, middle school and secondary school students.
24The task force shall: (i) conduct a comprehensive study including, but not limited to, the impact
25of school start times on student academic performance, school scheduling issues, scientific and
26academic findings relative to the sleep needs of adolescents; (ii) schedule and hold public
27hearings throughout the commonwealth to ensure public input and comment; and (iii) make
28reasonable attempts at obtaining comments and suggestions from common stakeholders that may
29include teachers, students, parents of students, and education policy makers. The task force shall
30file a report containing its findings and recommendations, including legislation necessary to
31carry out its recommendations, with the joint committee on education not later than 12 months
32following the first meeting of the task force.
33 SECTION 4. Within 120 days of the effective date of this act, the governor shall petition
34the United States Department of Transportation to include the Commonwealth within the 3 of 3
35Atlantic standard time zone as provided for in the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966, 15 U.S.C.
36sections 260 to 267.