A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning general provisions.
Summary
HB 1151 would exempt Indiana from the federal daylight saving time framework under the Uniform Time Act of 1966 and declare central standard time as the state’s standard time. The bill directs the governor and the General Assembly to petition the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin proceedings to move the entire state to central standard time, and it prohibits state agencies and local governments from adopting daylight saving time by statute, ordinance, order, or other action.
The bill also creates an implementation step requiring the governor to send the act and any required documentation to the U.S. Department of Transportation within 10 days after filing with the secretary of state. The new section would take effect July 1, 2026, and the implementation directive would expire January 1, 2027. In practical terms, the bill would alter Indiana’s time observance rules by removing daylight saving time and standardizing the state on central standard time, subject to federal law and any required federal approval process.
Impact
HB 1151 would amend the Indiana Code by adding a new section to IC 1-1-8.1 governing time observance. It would bar state and local governments from using daylight saving time and would formally align Indiana with central standard time, while also directing state officials to seek federal action under the Uniform Time Act. The bill affects state agencies, counties, cities, and other political subdivisions by limiting their authority to set or observe time differently.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no documented debate or roll-call sentiment in the materials provided. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears straightforward and policy-driven, with its purpose clearly stated as ending daylight saving time in Indiana and moving the state to central standard time.
Contention
The main point of contention likely concerns whether Indiana should abandon daylight saving time and whether the state should be on central standard time rather than eastern standard time, but no specific objections or supporters are captured in the provided materials. Any practical or legal concerns would center on federal approval under the Uniform Time Act, the impact on statewide coordination, and the effect on local governments that might otherwise prefer different time observance practices.