SALT LAKE CITY — Much like the annual ritual of changing clocks, the topic of daylight saving time returns to the Utah Capitol as lawmakers on the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee are set to consider SB59.
Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, is the sponsor of the bill titled Daylight Saving Time Amendments that is scheduled to be discussed at a committee hearing Thursday afternoon. The bill would make daylight saving time the law year-round in Utah once the federal government gives the go-ahead.
Last year, lawmakers passed a resolution on the final day of the session that backs a bill in Congress introduced in July 2018 by U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, calling for states to have the power to decide whether to continue the “spring forward” and “fall back” routine.
Also on the Hill, as they session nears the end of its first week, lawmakers continue to file new bills, including a so-called “red flag” provision that would allow a cohabitant to turn in the firearm of a housemate without the permission of the gun owner if that person is deemed to be “an immediate threat.” SB87 is sponsored by Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, and has not yet been introduced.