I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1554

To amend title 3, United States Code, and the Uniform Time Act of 1966

to establish a single poll closing time in the continental United States

for Presidential general elections, set Presidential general elections on

the first Saturday in November, and extend daylight saving time to

the first Sunday in November.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 31, 1993

Mr. MARKEY introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the

Committees on House Administration and Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To amend title 3, United States Code, and the Uniform

Time Act of 1966 to establish a single poll closing time

in the continental United States for Presidential general

elections, set Presidential general elections on the first

Saturday in November, and extend daylight saving time

to the first Sunday in November.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Presidential Elec5 tion Day Reform Act of 1993’’.
2

•HR 1554 IH

1 SEC. 2. SINGLE POLL CLOSING TIME FOR PRESIDENTIAL

2 GENERAL ELECTIONS IN THE CONTINENTAL

3 UNITED STATES.

4 (a) Each polling place in the continental United

5 States shall close, with respect to a Presidential general

6 election, at 9:00 o’clock post meridiem, eastern daylight

7 time. Any person who, as determined under the law of the

8 State involved, arrives at a polling place after that time

9 shall not be permitted to vote in the Presidential general

10 election.

11 (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a polling place

12 shall close, with respect to a Presidential general election,

13 as provided by the law of the State involved, in the case

14 of a polling place at which each person who is eligible to

15 vote has voted.

16 (c) As used in this section:

17 (1) The term ‘‘continental United States’’

18 means the States of the United States other than

19 Alaska and Hawaii and the District of Columbia.

20 (2) The term ‘‘presidential general election’’

21 means the election for electors of President and Vice

22 President.

23 (3) The term ‘‘State’’ means a State of the

24 United States and the District of Columbia.
3

•HR 1554 IH

1 SEC. 3. EXTENDED DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

2 Section 3(a) of the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15

3 U.S.C. 260a(a)) is amended by striking out ‘‘last Sunday

4 of October’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘first Sunday

5 of November’’.

6 SEC. 4. PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION ON SATURDAY.

7 Section 1 of title 3, United States Code, is amended

8 by striking out ‘‘on the Tuesday next after the first Mon9 day’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘on the first Saturday’’.

10 SEC. 5. ADJUSTMENT OF OPERATING HOURS OF DAYTIME

11 BROADCASTERS.

12 (a) Notwithstanding any other law or any regulation

13 issued under any such law, the Federal Communications

14 Commission shall, consistent with any existing treaty or

15 other agreement, make such adjustment by general rules,

16 or by interim action pending such general rules, with re17 spect to hours of operation of daytime standard amplitude

18 modulation broadcast stations, as may be consistent with

19 the public interest, including the public’s interest in receiv20 ing interference-free service.

21 (b) Such general rules, or interim action, may include

22 variances with respect to operating power and other tech23 nical operating characteristics.

24 (c) Subsequent to the adoption of such general rules,

25 they may be varied with respect to particular stations and

26 areas because of the exigencies in each case.
4

•HR 1554 IH

1 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

2 This Act shall take effect 60 days after the date of

3 the enactment of this Act, except that if such effective

4 date occurs in any calendar year after March 1, this Act

5 shall take effect on the first day of the following year.

Æ