HF1944

Purpose

• Establish Minnesota’s adoption of federal standard time year-round starting in 2025, with a sunset if a future federal law allows states to recognize advanced standard time year-round.

Main Provisions

• Recognition of time: Beginning in 2025, Minnesota will align with federal standard time or advanced standard time as provided by federal law, for all state and local timekeeping references.
• Amendment to statute: Minn. Stat. 645.071 is amended to require that every mention of any hour or time in any law be construed in accordance with the standard time or advanced standard time that federal law provides.
• Prohibition on other times: No state department, county, city, or town may use or establish a time different from the federal standard time or advanced standard time. They may not adopt other ordinances or orders to use a different time.

Relationship to Existing Law and Changes

• Updates how time is interpreted in Minnesota laws: Time references must follow the federal standard or advanced standard time, not any other time reference.
• Removes flexibility at local and state levels to use times outside the federal options described.
• Creates a conditional expiration: The mandate expires if and when a federal law is enacted permitting states to recognize advanced standard time year-round.

Effective Date and Sunset

• Effective beginning in 2025 for recognizing federal standard time year-round.
• Expiration contingent on federal action: If a federal law is enacted allowing states to recognize advanced standard time year-round, the Minnesota provision will expire.

Administrative and Practical Implications

• Government operations: All departments, counties, cities, and towns must reference time as dictated by federal law (standard time or advanced standard time).
• Legal references: Laws and official documents will be interpreted using the specified federal time standard, affecting scheduling, deadlines, and time computations.
• Coordination with federal law: Minnesota’s time rules are tied to changes at the federal level; state law will adapt if Congress or federal agencies change the allowed time options.

Potential Impacts to Public

• Scheduling and daily routines that depend on timekeeping (e.g., school hours, public transportation, business hours) will align with federal time standards.
• Uncertainty exists until federal action clarifies whether advanced standard time year-round is permitted; the state’s rules depend on federal authorization.

Summary of Key Mechanisms

• Standard of Time: The default reference for all hours and times in law.
• Advanced Standard Time: The federal option for year-round DST; eligibility and use depend on federal law.
• Federal Law Trigger: Minnesota’s obligation hinges on federal law authorizing the use of advanced standard time year-round.

Relevant Terms - standard time - advanced standard time - federal standard time - year-round - daylight saving time (DST) - Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 645.071 - 645.071 - timekeeping - reference to time in law - ordinance - department - expiration - federal law