ATLANTA — A Georgia bill that originally focused on emergency services has been transformed into a broader proposal that could shift the state’s time zone.
House Bill 154 was initially introduced to designate ambulance services as essential personnel. However, the Georgia Senate stripped that language and replaced it with a proposal to move the state from Eastern Daylight Saving Time to the Atlantic time zone.
Georgia already has a law on the books that would adopt Daylight Saving Time permanently. But because federal law requires an act of Congress to allow that change, something lawmakers in Washington have repeatedly failed to pass, state leaders are now pursuing a workaround.
Under the revised bill, the governor would be required to ask the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to move Georgia into the Atlantic Time Zone (AST/ADT). That time zone is lightly populated, covering parts of eastern Canada and areas of the Caribbean, including Bermuda, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.
The shift would effectively keep Georgia on Daylight Saving Time year-round without needing congressional approval, placing Georgia one hour ahead of Eastern Time (EST/EDT). When it is 12 p.m. in the Eastern Time Zone, it is 1 p.m. in the Atlantic Time Zone.
The Georgia Senate passed a bill that, if approved by the House, would require the governor to ask the U.S. Transportation Secretary to move the state from Eastern to Atlantic Time. The change would affect how Georgia’s time lines up with neighboring states, depending on the season. During the fall and winter months, Georgia would be one hour ahead of states like Florida and South Carolina, and two hours ahead of Alabama and parts of Tennessee. During the spring and summer months, Georgia would match the same time as its Eastern Time Zone neighbors, including Florida, South Carolina, and eastern Tennessee.
Supporters say the change would eliminate the need to adjust clocks twice a year and create more consistency for daily life.
“It’s about the reality that every time we change the clock, we create confusion for families, for businesses, for schools, and for anyone trying to maintain a consistent routine,” Sen. Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia) said. “And for what? The evidence that this system does what it was originally intended to do is weak at best. But the evidence that it disrupts people’s lives, that is overwhelming.”
Not all lawmakers agree. Opponents raised concerns about how the shift could affect coordination with neighboring states, particularly for travel, commerce and scheduling.
“Some months of the year we would be consistent with South Carolina and our neighbors,” Sen. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) said. “Other months of year we would not be consistent with South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and even folks in other time zones. It would just create chaos by us having to maintain not just what time zone we’re in, but what months of a year we’re in for scheduling meetings, flights, and schedules.”
Despite the concerns, the Senate approved the revised bill in a 45-5 vote.
Because of the changes, House Bill 154 must return to the Georgia House for final consideration before it can move forward.
GPB’s Sarah Kallis and Tristan Smith contributed to this report.
