STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 297 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE (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: 1 Section 1. a. A task force, to be known as the task force on daylight 2 saving time, is hereby established to study the effects of New York 3 state opting out of daylight saving time. Such task force shall be 4 comprised of appropriate state agency personnel and experts in the field 5 of daylight saving time. 6 b. The task force shall be comprised of: 7 (i) two members appointed by the governor; 8 (ii) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate; 9 (iii) two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly; 10 (iv) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and 11 (v) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. 12 c. The task force shall: 13 (i) examine and evaluate the potential health risks associated with 14 daylight saving time, such as heart attack; 15 (ii) identify the potential effects of daylight saving on morning 16 activities; 17 (iii) establish whether the act of changing clocks twice a year is 18 economically and/or socially disruptive; 19 (iv) identify the potential effects of daylight saving time on traffic 20 and crime; 21 (v) establish whether daylight saving time currently provides a bene- 22 fit to this state; 23 (vi) examine the history of daylight saving time; 24 (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. LBD01115-01-5S. 297 2 1 (ix) evaluate the positions and potential legislation from neighboring 2 states and the federal government on daylight saving time; 3 (x) identify regulations that are affected by daylight saving time and 4 that would be affected by the elimination of daylight saving time; and 5 (xi) make recommendations on whether this state should opt out or 6 continue to utilize daylight saving time. 7 d. Such task force shall submit a report, on or before April 1, 2026, 8 to the governor and the legislature of its findings, conclusions and 9 recommendations, and legislative and regulatory proposals deemed neces- 10 sary to implement such recommendations. 11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.