ATLANTA — It's almost time to fall back and switch the clocks again as daylight saving time ends November 7, but 11Alive viewer Brian Collins wanted to clear up a little confusion about the time change here in Georgia.
THE QUESTION
With Gov. Brian Kemp signing the bill to stay on daylight saving time permanently, will we fall back this year?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
Gov. Kemp indeed signed Senate Bill 100 last spring. The legislation would make daylight saving time permanent year round in Georgia, but according to the bill, this only becomes effective "if the United States Congress amends 15 U.S.C. Section 260a to authorize states to observe daylight savings time year round."
In other words, it takes an act of Congress for the state legislation to become official, and Georgia's not the only state waiting.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 19 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to provide for year-round daylight saving time, but while the Uniform Time Act allows states to opt out of daylight saving time by state law, as Arizona and Hawaii, have done, federal law does not currently allow full-time daylight saving time.
As a result, Congress would have to amend the Uniform Time Act before states could officially adopt changes.
So Brian, don't forget to set your clock. We can verify it's true that Georgia will have to fall back again this year and keep switching back and forth until Congress says otherwise.