# Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973

Note: This is the original legislation as it was initially enacted. Any subsequent amendments hosted on Wikisource may be listed using What Links Here.
An Act
To provide for daylight saving time on a year-round basis for a two-year trial period, and to require the Federal Communications Commission to permit certain daytime broadcast stations to operate before local sunrise.
Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,Section 1. That this Act may be cited as the "Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973".
Sec. 2. The Congress hereby finds and declares—
    (1) that the United States faces severe energy shortages, especially in the winter of 1973-1974 and in the next several winters thereafter;
    (2) that various studies of governmental and nongovernmental agencies indicate that year-round daylight saving time would produce an energy saving in electrical power consumption;
    (3) that daylight saving time may yield energy savings in other areas besides electrical power consumption;
    (4) that year-round daylight saving time could serve as an incentive for further energy conservation by individuals, companies, and the various governmental entities at all levels of government, and that such energy conservation efforts could lead ​to greatly expanded energy savings and help meet the projected energy shortages, and that such energy conservation efforts could include but not be limited to such actions as—
       (A) lowering office, home, and store thermostats several degrees;
       (B) limiting unnecessary automobile travel and holding down the speed of necessary automobile travel;
       (C) using energy efficient automobiles;
       (D) using public transportation whenever possible;
       (E) turning off office air-conditioners and heating plants an hour earlier in the afternoon; and
       (F) limiting unnecessary use of electric lights;
    (5) that the use of year-round daylight saving time could have other beneficial effects on the public interest, including the reduction of crime, improved traffic safety, more daylight outdoor playtime for the children and youth of our Nation, greater utilization of parks and recreation areas, expanded economic opportunity through extension of daylight hours to peak shopping hours and through extension of domestic office hours to periods of greater overlap with the European Economic Community; and
    (6) that the emergency nature of an energy shortage require the temporary enactment of daylight saving time.
Sec. 3. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 3(a) of the 80 Stat. 107.Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 260a(a)), the standard of time of each zone established by the 40 Stat. 450; 80 Stat. 108; 41 Stat. 1446.Act of March 19, 1918 (15 U.S.C. 261-264), as modified by the Act of March 4, 1921 (15 U.S.C. 265), shall be advanced one hour and such time as so advanced shall for the purposes of such Act of March 19, 1918, as so modified, be the standard time of each such zone; except that any State with parts thereof in more than one time zone, and any State that lies entirely within one time zone and is not contiguous to any other State, may by law exempt the entire area of the State lying within one time zone from the provisions of this subsection.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a State, by proclamation of its Governor, makes a finding prior to the effective date of this Act, that an exemption from the operation of subsection (a) or a realinement of time zone limits is necessary to avoid undue hardship or to conserve fuel in such State or part thereof, the President or his designee may grant an exemption or realinement to such State.
(c) Any law in effect on October 27, 1973, adopted pursuant to section 3(a)(2) of the 80 Stat. 107; 86 Stat. 116. 15 U.S.C. 260.Uniform Time Act of 1966 by a State with parts thereof in more than one time zone, or adopted pursuant to section 3(a)(l) of such Act by a State that lies entirely within one time zone and is not contiguous to any other State, shall be held and considered to remain in effect as the exercise by that State of the exemption permitted by subsection (a) of this section unless that State, by law, provides that such exemption shall not apply during the effective period of this Act.
(d) The provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of section 3 and section 7 of the 80 Stat. 109. 15 U.S.C. 267.Uniform Time Act of 1966 shall apply to the provisions of this section. ​ Sec. 4. Reports to Congress.(a) The Secretary of Transportation shall, on or before June 80, 1974, submit an interim report, and on or before June 30, 1975, submit a final report, to the Congress on the operation and effects of this Act. Each such report shall give particular attention to such effects on the use of energy in the United States, traffic safety, including the safety of children traveling to and from school, and the effect on school hours. Each such report shall also include such recommendations for legislation or other action as the Secretary may determine. The final report shall include any recommendations of the Secretary with respect to time zone limits.
(b) The Secretary of Transportation shall consult with the departments, agencies, and insti-umentalities of the United States having information or expertise with respect to the operation and effects of this Act. Each such department, agency, and instrumentality shall exercise its powers, duties, and functions in such numner as will assist in carrying out the provisions of this section.
Sec. 5. The authority of the Secretary of Transportation, under the first section of the 40 Stat. 450; 80 Stat. 108.Act of March 19, 1918 (15 U.S.C. 261), to modify the limits of any time zone is suspended during the effective period of this Act.
Sec. 6. Notwithstanding any other law or any regulation issued under any such law, the Federal Communication Commission shall, consistent with any existing treaty or other agreement, make such adjustment by general rules, or by interim action pending such general rules, with respect to hours of operation of daytime standard amplitude modulation broadcast stations, as may be consistent with the public interest, including the public's interest in receiving interference-free service. Such general rules, or interim action, may include variances with respect to operating power and other technical operating characteristics. Subsequent to the adoption of such general rules, they may be varied with respect to particular stations and areas because of the exigencies in each case.
Sec. 7. Effective date.This Act shall take effect at 2 o'clock antemeridian on the fourth Sunday which occurs after the date of enactment of this Act and shall terminate at 2 o'clock antemeridian on the last Sunday of April 1975.
Approved December 15, 1973.
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