Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3051 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2779 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3051
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Vanna Howard
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to Massachusetts time zones and sunshine protection.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/19/2023 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2779 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3051
18	18	By Representative Howard of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3051) of
19	19	Vanna Howard relative to providing for permanent Atlantic standard time. State Administration
20	20	and Regulatory Oversight.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
24	24	(2023-2024)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act relative to Massachusetts time zones and sunshine protection.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 4 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section
30	30	210, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following
31	31	3section:-
32	32	4 Section 10. The standard time within the commonwealth shall be the time known and
33	33	5designated by the federal statute as Atlantic standard time and shall be exempted from the
34	34	6change to daylight savings time pursuant to the exemption provisions of the federal Uniform
35	35	7Time Act of 1966, 15 U.S.C. section 260(a). And in all laws, statutes, orders, decrees, rules and
36	36	8regulations relating to the time of performance of any act by any officer or department of the
37	37	9commonwealth, or of any county, city, town or district thereof, or relating to the time in which
38	38	10any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not be performed by
39	39	11any person subject to the jurisdiction of the commonwealth, and in all the public schools and in
40	40	12all institutions of the commonwealth, or of any county, city, town or district thereof, and in all 2 of 3
41	41	13contracts or choses in action made or to be performed in the commonwealth, it shall be
42	42	14understood and intended that the time shall be Atlantic standard time as changed by this section.
43	43	15 SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall take effect if two or more of the following states:
44	44	16New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York or Maine (i) enact an
45	45	17agreement adopting Atlantic standard time with the commonwealth, (ii) enact legislation having
46	46	18an identical effect with this act, or (iii) enact laws directing a state official to request the
47	47	19Secretary of Transportation of the United States to place that state in the Atlantic standard time
48	48	20zone.
49	49	21 SECTION 3. Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the department of
50	50	22elementary and secondary education shall convene an educational task force to review the effect
51	51	23of school day start times for elementary school, middle school and secondary school students.
52	52	24The task force shall: (i) conduct a comprehensive study including, but not limited to, the impact
53	53	25of school start times on student academic performance, school scheduling issues, scientific and
54	54	26academic findings relative to the sleep needs of adolescents; (ii) schedule and hold public
55	55	27hearings throughout the commonwealth to ensure public input and comment; and (iii) make
56	56	28reasonable attempts at obtaining comments and suggestions from common stakeholders that may
57	57	29include teachers, students, parents of students, and education policy makers. The task force shall
58	58	30file a report containing its findings and recommendations, including legislation necessary to
59	59	31carry out its recommendations, with the joint committee on education not later than 12 months
60	60	32following the first meeting of the task force.
61	61	33 SECTION 4. Within 120 days of the effective date of this act, the governor shall petition
62	62	34the United States Department of Transportation to include the Commonwealth within the 3 of 3
63	63	35Atlantic standard time zone as provided for in the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966, 15 U.S.C.
64	64	36sections 260 to 267.