A BILL to amend and reenact § 1-253 of the Code of Virginia, relating to time zone; permanent daylight saving time in the Commonwealth.
HB9 would amend Virginia’s time-zone statute to place the Commonwealth on Eastern Daylight Time year-round, rather than switching between Eastern Standard Time and Eastern Daylight Time seasonally. The bill rewrites § 1-253 so that the default time in Virginia would be Eastern Daylight Time at all times, while preserving the existing reference to federal law and federal authority over time zones and interstate commerce.
The measure is structured to take effect only if Congress or another applicable federal law authorizes states to observe Eastern Daylight Time year-round. In other words, it does not independently change Virginia’s timekeeping rules unless federal law first permits permanent daylight saving time. The bill also clarifies that all state laws, public schools, government actions, contracts, and other time-based obligations would be interpreted using the applicable Eastern time standard under this new framework.
If enacted and triggered by a change in federal law, HB9 would alter Virginia’s statutory time reference from the current standard-time baseline to permanent Eastern Daylight Time. That would affect how deadlines, school schedules, government operations, contracts, and legal time calculations are interpreted across the Commonwealth. It would also amend the state code section governing time zones, while expressly avoiding conflict with federal law and U.S. Department of Transportation authority.
The available legislative history suggests the bill was treated cautiously and did not advance beyond preliminary consideration. It was referred to the Committee on Rules, placed in a Studies Subcommittee, and ultimately continued to the next session by voice vote, indicating no recorded floor-level controversy but also no momentum toward enactment. The absence of recorded committee testimony or votes makes it difficult to identify strong public support or opposition from the official materials provided.
The main point of contention is the policy question of permanent daylight saving time itself, including whether Virginia should align with year-round daylight hours and how that would affect daily life, commerce, and public schedules. A second issue is federal preemption: the bill explicitly depends on Congress or another federal change authorizing states to adopt year-round Eastern Daylight Time, so supporters and opponents may differ on whether the state should act in anticipation of federal action or wait for it. Because the bill was held in studies and continued, the committee posture suggests unresolved questions rather than a settled consensus.