Urge Congress to make daylight saving time the permanent
Summary
SCR 6 is a concurrent resolution urging the United States Congress to enact legislation making daylight saving time permanent nationwide. The resolution recites the historical use of daylight saving time during wartime and the 1973 energy crisis, and it cites claimed benefits such as more evening daylight, increased outdoor activity for children and youth, economic opportunity, energy savings, improved traffic safety, and reduced crime.
The resolution also notes that states are generally barred by federal law from adopting permanent daylight saving time on their own, with the federal government maintaining uniform time-zone rules. It references the federal Sunshine Protection Act (H.R. 139) as the type of legislation Congress could pass to accomplish the change. The resolution directs the Ohio legislature’s clerk to send copies to federal leaders, Ohio’s congressional delegation, and Ohio media outlets.
Impact
SCR 6 does not change Ohio statutes or create new state regulatory requirements. Its legal effect is limited to expressing the Ohio General Assembly’s position and formally urging Congress to amend federal law so that daylight saving time would become the permanent standard nationwide. If Congress acted, the change would affect timekeeping rules across states, including Ohio, and would supersede the current federal framework that prevents states from independently adopting permanent daylight saving time.
Sentiment
The bill appears broadly favorable and noncontroversial in tone, presenting permanent daylight saving time as beneficial for families, the economy, safety, and energy use. Because the available record contains no committee testimony or vote history, there is no documented opposition or amendment debate in the provided materials. The resolution’s language suggests support for the concept of year-round daylight saving time and alignment with similar federal efforts.
Contention
The main policy issue underlying the resolution is the broader debate over whether the country should keep daylight saving time year-round or instead move to permanent standard time. Supporters of the resolution emphasize evening daylight, economic activity, and safety benefits, while the resolution itself acknowledges that federal law currently controls the issue and prevents states from acting alone. No specific objections are recorded in the provided materials, but any contention would likely center on health, sleep, and circadian-rhythm concerns versus the claimed social and economic benefits.
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