1.1 	A resolution
1.2 	memorializing Congress to pass the Sunshine Protection Act.
1.3 	WHEREAS,  the Sunshine Protection Act of 2019 was introduced as S.R. 670/H.R. 1556, 
1.4 	and would apply to those states who currently participate in Daylight Saving Time. The Sunshine 
1.5 	Protection Act would end the need for Americans to change their clocks to observe Standard Time, 
1.6 	which is from November to March. Studies have shown that making Daylight Saving Time permanent 
1.7 	could benefit the economy, Minnesotans, and the country; and
1.8 	WHEREAS, making Daylight Saving Time permanent could reduce car crashes and accidents 
1.9 	involving pedestrians. By better aligning daylight hours to drivers' standard work hours, drivers 
1.10 	would have better visibility, according to the American Journal of Public Health and the Journal 
1.11 	of Safety Research. Making Daylight Saving Time permanent could also reduce the number of 
1.12 	vehicle collisions with wildlife by eight to 11 percent by shifting normal traffic patterns away from 
1.13 	nocturnal wildlife behavior by one hour; and
1.14 	WHEREAS, adopting the Sunshine Protection Act may reduce the risk for cardiac issues, 
1.15 	stroke, and seasonal affective disorder; and
1.16 	WHEREAS, making Daylight Saving Time permanent has the potential to reduce robberies 
1.17 	by 27 percent as a result of additional daylight in the evening, according to a 2015 Brookings 
1.18 	Institution study; and
1.19 	WHEREAS, passing the Sunshine Protection Act may benefit the economy, according to a 
1.20 	study by JP Morgan Chase. The study found that there is a drop in economic activity ranging from 
1.21 	2.2 to 4.9 percent when clocks are set back to Standard Time; and
1.22 	WHEREAS, shifting to Daylight Saving Time permanently could reduce childhood obesity 
1.23 	and increase physical fitness. According to studies published by the International Journal Behavioral 
1.24 	Nutrition and Physical Activity and the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, children see an 
2.1 	increase in physical activity during Daylight Saving Time. The Journal of Environmental Psychology 
2.2 	found that Daylight Saving Time increased pedestrian activity by 62 percent and cyclist activity 
2.3 	by 38 percent due to increased daylight hours; and
2.4 	WHEREAS, enacting the Sunshine Protection Act may benefit the agricultural economy, 
2.5 	which is disproportionately disrupted by biannual changes in time by upsetting the synergy between 
2.6 	farmers' schedules and their supply chain partners; and
2.7 	WHEREAS, by making Daylight Saving Time year-round, energy usage could be reduced. 
2.8 	The United States Department of Energy found that during the four weeks the United States extended 
2.9 	Daylight Saving Time from 2005 law, there were electricity savings of roughly one-half percent 
2.10 	per day; NOW, THEREFORE,
2.11 	BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the President 
2.12 	and the Congress of the United States to adopt the Sunshine Protection Act.
2.13 	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is directed 
2.14 	to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President of the United States, the 
2.15 	President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United 
2.16 	States House of Representatives, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress.