States for the commencing and ending of daylight saving time in those States and local jurisdictions where it is observed, and for other purposes. This Department concurs in the objective of standardizing the time zones as much as appropriate. However, since the bill does not affect the Department's responsibilities, we have no specific recommendation to make. The Bureau of the Budget advises that there is no objection to the presentaion of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program. Sincerely yours, ORVILLE L. FREEMAN, Secretary. Hon. OREN HARRIS, THE GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE TREASURY, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Reference is made to your request for the views of this Department on H.R. 6481, to establish uniform dates throughout the United States for the commencing and ending of daylight saving time in those States and local jurisdictions where it is observed, and for other purposes. The proposed legislation (1) would direct the Interstate Commerce Commission to foster and promote widespread and uniform adoption and observance of the same standards of time within and throughout the standard time zones established by law, (2) would provide that whenever any State or political subdivision thereof, or the District of Columbia, adopts daylight saving time, such time shall commence at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in April and shall end at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October, and (3) would provide for four time zones in Alaska. Since the proposed legislation relates to matters primarily within the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Treasury has no comments to make on the merits of the bill. The Department has been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objection from the standpoint of the administration's program to the submission of this report to your committee. Sincerely yours, Hon. OREN HARRIS, FRED B. SMITH, Acting General Counsel. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in reply to your request for comments of this office concerning H.R. 6481, 89th Congress, a bill to establish uniform dates throughout the United States for the commencing and ending of daylight saving time in those States and local jurisdictions where it is observed, and for other purposes. The Office of Emergency Planning defers to those departments and agencies having a more direct interest in the subject matter. From the standpoint of the administration's program, the Bureau of the Budget advises that it has no objection to the submission of this report. Sincerely, FRANKLIN B. DRYDEN (For Director Buford Ellington). GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Your letter of March 25, 1965, requested the views of the General Services Administration on H.R. 6481, 89th Congress, a bill "To establish uniform dates throughout the United States for the commencing and ending of daylight saving time in those States and local jurisdictions where it is observed, and for other purposes." In addition to the purpose of the bill stated in the title, the proposed measure would provide for the establishment of eight standard time zones to replace present five standard time zones in the United States. GSA has no objection to the enactment of H.R. 6481. The enactment of the proposed legislation would not affect the budgetary requirements of GSA. The Bureau of the Budget has advised that, from the standpoint of the administration's program, there is no objection to the submission of this report to your committee. Sincerely yours, LAWSON B. KNOTT, Jr., Administrator. Hon. OREN HARRIS, FEDERAL AVIATION AGENCY, Washington, D.C., August 6, 1965. Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in reply to your request of March 25, 1965, for the views of this Agency with respect to H.R. 6481, a bill "To establish uniform dates throughout the United States for the commencing and ending of daylight saving time in those States and local jurisdictions where it is observed, and for other purposes." This bill would amend the act entitled "An act to save daylight and to provide standard time for the United States," (15 U.S.C. 261-64) to provide uniform observance of daylight saving time during certain months of the year. The time established by the bill is to govern, among other things, "the movement of all common carriers in interstate commerce." Assuming this phrase is given no broader scope than that given the identical phrase in the 45-year-old statute being amended, H.R. 6481 will not affect this Agency's necessary use of Greenwich mean time in communications relating to air traffic control, weather reporting, flight information services and aerial navigation. On this understanding, and since the subject matter of H.R. 6481 is not otherwise within the purview of this Agency, we have no comment on the bill. The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection from the standpoint of the administration's program to the submission of this report to your committee. Sincerely, (Signed) WILLIAM F. MCKEE, Administrator. Hon. OREN HARRIS, FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Federal Maritime Commission has received detailed information on the subject of time uniformity from the Committee for Time Uniformity. As a result of studying this information, we now affirmatively comment on the proposed bill H.R. 6481. This bill would establish a uniform daylight saving time period throughout the United States covering all States or jurisdictions which choose to observe daylight saving time. It would also amend the Standard Time Act of 1918 to create new time zones to meet the needs of Alaska and Hawaii. Further, the bill would establish eight time zones. The Atlantic standard time zone would be established east of the present eastern time zone. The present eastern, central, mountain, and Pacific time zones would be retained. The present Alaska standard time zone would be abolished and the Yukon, Alaska-Hawaii, and Bering time zones would be established west of the present Pacific time zone. The limits of each zone would be defined by the Interstate Commerce Commission after taking into consideration convenience of commerce and existing operations of common carriers engaged in interstate commerce. We believe that there is a need for legislation to establish uniform time standards because it would facilitate shipments of cargo and movement of passengers by eliminating confusion and achieving greater expediency. Accordingly, we support legislation to accomplish these ends. The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there would be no objection to the submission of this letter from the standpoint of the administration's program. Sincerely yours, JOHN HARLLEE, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired), Chairman. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in reply to your request seeking this Commission's comments on H.R. 6481, a bill to establish uniform dates throughout the United States for the commencing and ending of daylight saving time in those States and local jurisdictions where it is observed, and for other purposes. Enclosed please find copies of our comments on this bill and on H.R. 6785 and S. 1404, which are all substantially identical. We are advised by the Bureau of the Budget that from the standpoint of the administration's program there is no objection to the presentation of this report to your committee. Yours sincerely, E. WILLIAM HENRY, Chairman. COMMENTS OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ON S. 1404, H.R. 6481, AND H.R. 6785, 89TH CONGRESS, BILLS TO ESTABLISH UNIFORM DATES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES FOR THE COMMENCING AND ENDING OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IN THOSE STATES AND LOCAL JURISDICTIONS WHERE IT IS OBSERVED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES S. 1404, H.R. 6481, and H.R. 6785 are nearly identical. These bills are designed to make the dates for daylight saving time uniform throughout the United States. They provide that in those States and local jurisdictions where daylight saving time is observed, it shall commence at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in April and end at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October. The bills increase the number of time zones in the United States from five to eight. They provide that daylight saving time adopted by any State or political subdivision thereof, or the District of Columbia, shall be the exclusive time within such State or political subdivision for the transaction of all public business by any department, agency, or court of the United States or by any representative thereof, and shall be understood to be the time referred to in "all statutes, orders, rules, and regulations relating to the time *** within which any act shall or shall not be performed by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States." (Sec. 4.) The Interstate Commerce Commission is authorized to enforce the observance of the provisions of the bills. The Commission has been represented on the Committee for Time Uniformity and has cooperated with that group in its efforts to alleviate some of the confusion stemming from the existing patchwork of local daylight saving time legislation. However, to the extent that section 4 might be construed to make locally adopted daylight saving time applicable to broadcast licensees or permittees, thereby changing their permissible hours of operation as governed by the Commission's rules, these bills give us serious concern. A few general characteristics of radio transmission should be briefly noted as an aid in understanding our concern. The physical behavior of standard broadcast signals is vastly different day and night. Part of the energy radiated from the transmitting antenna of a broadcast station travels closely along the earth's surface and is called a groundwave signal. The portion of the energy which travels upward and outward from the transmitter into the upper atmosphere is, during daylight hours, so weakened by absorption in the atmosphere before being returned to the earth that it may usually be neglected. However, at night, that portion of the radio signal emitted outward and upward is reflected back strongly to earth at distances much greater than the reach of groundwave signals. Because of his phenomenon, known as skywave transmission, the majority of standard broadcast stations throughout the United States are required to leave the air, reduce power, and/or employ directional antenna systems during the nighttime hours in order to avoid widespread skywave interference within the protected service areas of other stations assigned to the same channel. Since skywave interference is affected by the degree of light or darkness along the tranmission path, the Commission, in its rules governing the hours of operation of standard broadcast stations, is basically concerned with determining local astronomical or "sun" time. However, it is necessary that "sun" time be related to meaningful standards (as, for example, eastern standard time), and average monthly sunrise and sunset times are set forth in license documents in terms of standard time. To illustrate the problems created by these bills, suppose that, based upon average sunrise and sunset times, a radio station is authorized to operate during the month of May from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. local standard time. If the community where that station is located adopts daylight saving time, section 4 of these bills might cause the time specified in the station's authorization to be understood to refer to daylight saving time. The station would thus operate from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m., local daylight saving time (which is 5 a.m. until 6 p.m., standard time). This means the station would begin operation with its daytime facilities 1 hour before sunrise and go off the air, or convert to nighttime facilities, 1 hour before sunset. The net result of such a situation is that the operation prior to sunrise would violate the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement and the Agreement Between the United States of America and Mexico. Such operation would also violate the Commission's rules, and could cause undue interference to other domestic stations operating on the same frequency thereby resulting in modification of the licenses of the stations subjected to such interference. Moreover, such a station operating in accordance with local daylight saving time would be deprived of an hour's operating time in the early evening. The Commission therefore recommends that there be appropriate legislative action to avoid the possibility of these highly undesirable results. Such action could be in the form of a proviso in the bills or a section in the committee report making clear the inapplicability of the bills to the hours of operation of broadcast stations as established by the Commission. Thus, the following proviso could be inserted at the end of section 4: "Provided, That nothing in this Act shall affect the hours of operation of broadcast stations as established by the Federal Communications Commission." If this recommendation is adopted, the Commission would have no objection to the enactment of S. 1404, H.R. 6481, or H.R. 6785. Adopted: April 21, 1965. Hon. OREN HARRIS, CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in reply to your letters of March 25 and April 9, 1965, requesting reports by the Board on H.R. 6481, a bill to establish uniform dates throughout the United States for the commencing and ending of daylight saving time in those States and local jurisdictions where it is observed, and for other purposes, and H.R. 7167, a bill to establish a uniform system of time standards and measurements for the United States and to require the observance of such time standards for all purposes. H.R. 6481 declares it to be the policy of the United States to promote the adoption of uniform time within the existing standard time zones prescribed by the Standard Time Act of March 19, 1918 (40 Stat. 450), and directs the Interstate Commerce Commission, which has the responsibility of defining the limits of existing zones under such act, to foster the uniform observance of the same standards of time throughout each zone. States or political subdivisions thereof elerting to adopt daylight saving time would be required to commence such time on the last Sunday in April and end it on the last Sunday in October, and the Commission would be authorized to seek injunctive relief from the Federal courts for violations of the changeover dates. Daylight saving time adopted in accordance with the provisions of the bill would be the exclusive time for the transaction of business by Federal offices. H.R. 7167, which is identical to draft legislation submitted to the Congress by the Interstate Commerce Commission, differs principally from H.R. 6481, in that it would be administered by such agency as might be designated by the Congress rather than by the Commission; the Standard Time Act would be repealed and time zones would be prescribed for the United States, with the administering agency being authorized to fix the boundaries thereof; the administering agency would be authorized, where desirable in the public interest, to establish an "advanced" standard of time (the equivalent of daylight saving time) for a zone; and the standard time of each zone would be the exclusive measure of time for the transaction of all public business by the Federal or State Governments and by all persons in their business relations with the public, except for scientific purposes and for other purposes expressly exempted. The Board is in accord with the objectives of the bills to provide a more uniform system of time standards for the United States. The interests of air transportation, as well as other forms of transportation, would be furthered by greater uniformity in time changes on a nationwide basis. Air carriers distribute timetables showing time at individual points because of variations in time observance in different parts of the country. The establishment of uniform cutoff dates for the commencement and termination of daylight saving time would result in cost savings to the industry as well as greater convenience to the traveling public. Thus, either of the bills would assist in relieving the confusion which exists at the present time. However, the Board believes that in the long run the interests of both carriers and travelers would be better served by a more comprehensive measure such as H.R. 7167. The Board has been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objection to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program. HAROLD R. SANDERSON, Secretary (For the Civil Aeronautics Board). Hon. OREN HARRIS, GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Washington, D.C., May 7, 1965. Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR MR. HARRIS: The Commissioners of the District of Columbia have for report H.R. 6481, 89th Congress, a bill to establish uniform dates throughout the United States for the commencing and ending of daylight saving time in those States and local jurisdictions where it is observed, and for other purposes. The purpose of the bill is primarily to establish throughout the United States uniformity in the beginning and ending of daylight saving time. Section 3 (a) of the bill provides that whenever any State or political subdivision thereof or the District of Columbia adopts daylight saving time, such time shall commence on the last Sunday in April and shall end on the last Sunday in October. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are authorized by the act approved April 28, 1953 (67 Stat. 23, sec. 28-2804, D.C. Code) to advance the standard time applicable to the District 1 hour for this same period. For the past several years, pursuant to such authority, the Commissioners have established the entire period as the daylight saving time period in the Nation's Capital. Since the provisions of the bill would not change the present practice in the District of Columbia, but would, in fact, standardize the practice in other political subdivisions with the practice now followed by the District, the Commissioners favor its enactment. The Commissioners have been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that from the standpoint of the administration's program there is no objection to the submission of this report to the Congress. Yours very sincerely, WALTER N. TOBRINER, President, Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia. |