Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0128

HR0128 LRB104 05907 ECR 15940 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Daylight Saving time began in Germany during World War I as an effort to conserve fuel; and

WHEREAS, Daylight Saving Time was instituted in the United States in 1918 under the title of "War time" and proved so unpopular that Congress abolished it when the war was over; and

WHEREAS, Local jurisdictions then had control over their clocks until the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which mandated standard time within time zones and instituted the practice of advancing clocks one hour in the spring and turning them back one hour in the fall; and

WHEREAS, In 1986, Congress amended the Uniform Time Act, moving the beginning of Daylight Saving Time from the last Sunday in April to the first Sunday in April; and

WHEREAS, Congress, as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, moved the beginning of Daylight Saving Time to the second Sunday in March and the end to the first Sunday of November; and

WHEREAS, States were allowed to exempt themselves from Daylight Saving Time, resulting in a patchwork of time differences throughout the nation, especially in states with multiple time zones, such as Indiana; and

WHEREAS, Uniformity of time among the states is essential for interstate commerce; and

WHEREAS, Numerous studies indicate that the biannual time change interferes with the body's circadian rhythm, affecting sleep cycles, stress levels, and drowsiness during the day; and

WHEREAS, A 2009 study in the Sleep Medicine journal indicated that it may take some people up to three weeks to adjust to the time change; and

WHEREAS, According to the American Journal of Cardiology, there is a ten percent increase in the number of heart attacks on the Monday following the time change; and

WHEREAS, A 2004 study in the Accident Analysis and Prevention journal estimated that instituting Daylight Saving Time permanently could save up to 366 lives due to a reduction in automotive accidents; and

WHEREAS, The rationale for switching clocks twice per year to aid in the war effort was laudable over 100 years ago, but modern and scientific research now clearly favors the institution of Daylight Saving Time year round, eliminating the stress and negative health effects caused by changing clocks; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we believe that the United States should move away from biannual time change, instead instituting Daylight Saving Time permanently; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Congress of the United States of America to enact permanent Daylight Saving Time to minimize confusion and disruption to people's lives, transportation, and commerce; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Energy, and the Congressional Delegation of the State of Illinois.