TRENTON, NJ – Lawmakers have introduced legislation that would put New Jersey on daylight saving time permanently once federal law allows it.
The proposal would keep the state on Eastern Daylight Time year-round, eliminating the biannual clock changes.
Supporters say the switch would improve public health, safety, and commerce by ending the disruptions tied to time changes each spring and fall.
Key Points
- Bill calls for New Jersey to remain on Eastern Daylight Time year-round.
- Measure would take effect once Congress authorizes states to make daylight saving time permanent.
- Lawmakers cite studies linking time changes to health risks and traffic accidents.
Legislative intent rooted in federal restrictions
Under the current federal “Uniform Time Act of 1966,” states can exempt themselves from daylight saving time but cannot observe it permanently. The New Jersey bill would automatically adopt year-round daylight saving time once the federal government permits it. Lawmakers pointed to federal acts from 1918 through 2005 that created and modified the national time system, moving the start of daylight saving time earlier over the decades.
Studies cited on safety and health
The bill references research showing time shifts can lead to more heart attacks and fatal car crashes in the days following the spring clock change. A 2013 study in The American Journal of Cardiology found a spike in heart attack risk linked to the time transition, while a 2016 study in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics attributed dozens of traffic deaths to sleep deprivation from the shift.
Daylight benefits for drivers and pedestrians
Advocates also cite findings from Rutgers University and other studies showing daylight saving time reduces pedestrian and motor vehicle fatalities by improving visibility during evening hours. Lawmakers argue that year-round daylight saving time would extend evening daylight, reduce accidents, and help businesses that rely on after-work activity.
Awaiting federal approval
The bill would take effect on the first Sunday in November following federal authorization for states to remain on daylight saving time year-round. Until that change occurs, New Jersey would continue following the national schedule that shifts clocks twice a year between Eastern Standard and Eastern Daylight Time.
