House committee hears health, commerce arguments on bill to end clock changes

Representative Timothy Horrigan introduced HB 11-49, saying New Hampshire should eliminate the twice‑annual clock change and adopt year‑round standard time "only after our neighboring states" take matching action or federal law changes. Horrigan argued the annual change disrupts sleep and contributes to heart attacks, strokes and accidents in the weeks after spring and fall time switches.

Broadcasters told the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee that piecemeal state action could harm commerce and transmission networks. Scott Spradling of the New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters said state‑by‑state changes would "create some real problems" for programming and advertising calendars and urged a coordinated federal approach or multistate regional strategy.

Medical witnesses emphasized health risks and recommended standard time rather than permanent daylight time. Dr. Douglas Johnson, a pulmonary and sleep physician, said shifting clocks harms circadian rhythms and that state support for permanent standard time can pressure Congress to act. Dr. Corinne Johnson, a neurologist representing the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, said permanent standard time "is really the naturally healthy choice," noting studies linking time changes to increased cardiovascular events and worse outcomes for adolescents with delayed sleep phase.

Committee members questioned federal preemption and practical timing. Horrigan acknowledged federal authority over some aspects of time zone rules but said current federal law allows states to adopt year‑round standard time without federal approval and that the bill conditions state action on contiguous states' adoption or federal legislation to avoid market fragmentation.

The hearing did not close with committee action; witnesses recommended pursuing multistate coordination and federal engagement before a unilateral state change.