HOUSE BILL NO. 19

INTRODUCED BY KITZENBERG S, HOLDEN R

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT ADOPTING MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME AND NOT MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME AS THE ONLY TIME TO BE USED IN MONTANA; AND PROVIDING A DELAYED EFFECTIVE DATE."

WHEREAS, the use of daylight saving time is inconvenient in that it requires clock time changes twice in a calendar year; and

WHEREAS, a decision by Montana to use only mountain standard time would be compatible with Montana's border states because there would be only a 1-hour time difference for one-half of the year between most border states and Montana if Montana did not participate in daylight saving time; and

WHEREAS, a decision by Montana to use only mountain standard time would be compatible with Saskatchewan, Canada, because Saskatchewan does not use daylight saving time; and

WHEREAS, the use of daylight saving time is controlled by federal law, specified in 15 U.S.C. 260a, which allows states that lie entirely within one time zone the option of using only standard time if state law requires the entire state to use only standard time.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Only mountain standard time to be used. The standard time in Montana to be used by the state, its political subdivisions, and all persons within the state at all times is the solar time of the meridian 105 degrees west of Greenwich, England, commonly known as mountain standard time, and is never the time achieved by a temporary 1-hour advancement of time, commonly known as daylight saving time, provided for in 15 U.S.C. 260a.

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective November 1, 1999.

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