Committee recommends 'ought to pass as amended' for LD 3 on time change; LD 4 remains under consideration

The Maine State and Local Government Committee voted on March 3, 2025, to advance L.D. 3 as amended, recording a roll call that included at least eight yes votes and two no votes before the roll call in the provided transcript ended.

The recommendation would send L.D. 3 — a bill that would allow the state to move to permanent daylight saving time only if federal law changes to permit it — to the next stage with an amendment adding the word “Eastern” in line 9 of the bill text. Committee members discussed federal limitations, regional coordination and child safety in morning hours in debate before the vote.

The committee’s analyst, Kristen (staff analyst), told members the central federal constraint is the Uniform Time Act: states may exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time, but they cannot unilaterally adopt permanent daylight saving time without congressional action. The analyst said Title 15 of the U.S. Code (sections 260–267) and the Uniform Time Act of 1966 limit state options and that requests to change time‑zone boundaries must go through the Department of…