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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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Presidential Elec-
tion Day Reform Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. SINGLE POLL CLOSING TIME FOR PRESIDENTIAL
GENERAL ELECTIONS IN THE CONTINENTAL
UNITED STATES.
(a) Each polling place in the continental United
States shall close, with respect to a Presidential general
election, at 9:00 o’clock post meridiem, eastern daylight
time. Any person who, as determined under the law of the
State involved, arrives at a polling place after that time
shall not be permitted to vote in the Presidential general
election.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a polling place
shall close, with respect to a Presidential general election,
as provided by the law of the State involved, in the case
of a polling place at which each person who is eligible to
vote has voted.
(c) As used in this section:
(1) The term ‘‘continental United States’’
means the States of the United States other than
Alaska and Hawaii and the District of Columbia.
(2) The term ‘‘presidential general election’’
means the election for electors of President and Vice
President.
(3) The term ‘‘State’’ means a State of the
United States and the District of Columbia.
SEC. 3. EXTENDED DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.
Section 3(a) of the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15
U.S.C. 260a(a)) is amended by striking out ‘‘last Sunday
of October’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘first Sunday
of November’’.
SEC. 4. PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION ON SATURDAY.
Section 1 of title 3, United States Code, is amended
by striking out ‘‘on the Tuesday next after the first Mon-
day’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘on the first Saturday’’.
SEC. 5. ADJUSTMENT OF OPERATING HOURS OF DAYTIME
BROADCASTERS.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law or any regulation
issued under any such law, the Federal Communications
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 re-
spect 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 receiv-
ing interference-free service.
(b) Such general rules, or interim action, may include
variances with respect to operating power and other tech-
nical operating characteristics.
(c) 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. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, except that if such effective
date occurs in any calendar year after March 1, this Act
shall take effect on the first day of the following year.
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