Kansas lawmakers have proposed a law that could change the way the state handles time. The new bill, known as Senate Bill 1, suggests that Kansas should remain on standard time year-round, instead of switching to daylight saving time every spring. If passed, this would mean no more changing the clocks twice a year, starting in November 2025. The idea has received support from health experts, but it’s also facing some major challenges.
The Main Idea: Switching to Standard Time Permanently
Under the new bill, Kansas would stay on standard time all year long, meaning the clocks wouldn’t be moved forward in the spring for daylight saving time. Currently, people in Kansas set their clocks forward one hour in March and set them back one hour in November. If the bill is approved, this clock change would no longer happen.
Senator Kenny Titus, a Republican from Manhattan, introduced this bill after hearing from health experts who believe staying on standard time could be better for people’s health. Experts say that staying on standard time helps people’s sleep schedules and is more natural for our bodies, aligning better with our circadian rhythm.
Many Kansans also seem to support ending the clock changes, but there’s no clear agreement on whether standard time or daylight saving time is better. The senator believes that the main goal is to stop the confusion caused by changing clocks, which many people find stressful and inconvenient.
Some Serious Challenges Ahead
However, there are big challenges to making this change in Kansas. Senator Mike Thompson, who chairs the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, said it is unlikely that the bill will move forward this session. One big reason is the impact this change could have on businesses and people who live near the border with Missouri. If Kansas stays on standard time while Missouri continues to observe daylight saving time, people could face confusion when trying to coordinate activities that depend on time, such as business hours and TV programming.
This could create problems for Kansans who travel to or do business in Missouri, especially when it comes to planning meetings or scheduling flights. It could also create difficulties for broadcasters, like radio and TV stations, that need to manage time-sensitive programming. Since Kansas would be out of sync with Missouri, there could be confusion about when certain programs air.
Allison Mazzei, president of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, expressed concerns that the change would disrupt radio stations, especially those that broadcast to areas in Missouri that still follow daylight saving time. She said that managing advertising revenue and adjusting to a new time system would be much more complicated for Kansas broadcasters.
What Does Federal Law Say?
Kansas is not the only state dealing with this issue. According to federal law, states are allowed to decide whether or not to observe daylight saving time. However, no state can permanently switch to daylight saving time unless Congress passes a law allowing it.
While Kansas could stick to standard time if the bill passes, it would still need to stay updated on any changes at the federal level, especially if Congress decides to adopt year-round daylight saving time in the future. However, the Secretary of State’s office in Kansas has made it clear that it does not have the resources or expertise to monitor federal time-related changes.
What’s Next?
At the moment, the future of Senate Bill 1 is uncertain. Despite support from health experts and some Kansans, there is a lack of agreement about whether the state should move to standard time year-round. There are still concerns about how this change would affect business operations and the daily lives of Kansans who are used to the current system.
The Senate committee is expected to discuss the bill more in the coming months, but it’s unclear whether lawmakers will take action on it during this legislative session. If passed, the law could go into effect in November 2025, but for now, the state will continue to observe daylight saving time.
(Source : newsbreak.com)