New York May Fall Back For The Last Time
As much as we love the idea of springing forward every year, those days may be numbered in the Empire State.
With the arrival of autumn means Pumpkin Spice everything, fall foliage, Bills Football, and Sabres Hockey. It also means the arrival of Daylight Saving Time (DST) for most of the United States of America.
Daylight Saving Time is observed by most of the states and territories in the USA, but there are a few exceptions like Arizona, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico which do not participate.
There is a bill in Congress called the Sunshine Protection Act that would end DST, but it's been stalled in the US House of Representatives. That is why the New York State Legislature has started taking moves on its own.
What Is New York Going To Do?
New York State Assembly Bill A6443 and New York State Senate Bill S3813 would allow New York State to fall back into Daylight Saving Time and then never spring forward again. This change would have the same impact if New York moved out of the Eastern Time Zone and into the Atlantic Time Zone.
The seasonal switch back and forth from daylight saving time causes productivity losses and leads to an increased risk of car accidents, health complications, and other damaging consequences. This switch is compounded by New York's position in the Eastern Standard Time Zone. If the state switched to Atlantic Standard Time, sunsets would be an hour later each day, a change would be especially helpful in the winter, when the sun would no longer set before 5pm.
- James Skoufis, New York State Senator for the 39th District
Many people have wondered for years what the point of switching between Daylight Saving Time and Eastern Daylight Time is every year, especially with the invention of the electric light.
Hopefully, the New York State Legislature acts fast so we don't have to lean back fall back anymore.