Florida Senate - 2018                              CS for SB 858
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Community Affairs; and Senators Steube,
       Mayfield, and Taddeo
       
       
       
       
       578-02387-18                                           2018858c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to time observances; providing a short
    3         title; providing legislative intent regarding the
    4         State of Florida and its political subdivisions
    5         observing daylight saving time year-round under
    6         certain conditions; directing the Legislature to
    7         submit a request to the Secretary of the United States
    8         Department of Transportation to redesignate portions
    9         of the state in the Central Time Zone into the Eastern
   10         Time Zone; specifying requirements for the request;
   11         providing an effective date.
   12  
   13         WHEREAS, the State of Florida is known as the “Sunshine
   14  State,” and
   15         WHEREAS, as the “Sunshine State,” Florida should be kept
   16  sunny year-round, NOW, THEREFORE,
   17  
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. (1) This section may be cited as the “Sunshine
   21  Protection Act.”
   22         (2) If the United States Congress amends 15 U.S.C. s. 260a
   23  to authorize states to observe daylight saving time year-round,
   24  it is the intent of the Legislature that daylight saving time
   25  shall be the year-round standard time of the entire state and
   26  all of its political subdivisions.
   27         Section 2. As soon as practicable after this act becomes a
   28  law, the Legislature of the State of Florida shall submit a
   29  request to the Secretary of the United States Department of
   30  Transportation to initiate rulemaking to redesignate those
   31  portions of Florida that currently lie within the Central Time
   32  Zone to the Eastern Time Zone. The request must include a formal
   33  certification, contact information, and any supporting
   34  documentation demonstrating that moving the entire state of
   35  Florida into one time zone would serve the convenience of
   36  commerce.
   37         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.