HB5400 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 16305 BDA 29691 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5400

Introduced 2/10/2026, by Rep. Daniel Didech

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 440/1

from Ch. 1, par. 3201

Amends the Time Standardization Act. Exempts the State, after Iowa and Missouri are exempt, from daylight saving time under the exemption provisions of the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966 and declares the standard time in the State year-round to be United States standard central time. Makes findings.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly hereby finds and declares as follows:

(a) Changing clocks seasonally is disruptive to the health, safety, education, and economy of the people of the State of Illinois.

(b) Federal law only permits permanent standard time by exemption from daylight saving time as the alternative to seasonally changing clocks.

(c) Permanent daylight saving time has historically been repealed due to its harmful effects soon after its trials during World War II and the 1970s Oil Crisis.

(d) Permanent standard time has historically proven to last without incident for decades.

(e) The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation, Sleep Research Society, and Society for Research on Biological Rhythms advise against permanent daylight saving time and recommend permanent standard time.

(f) Standard time is intended to approximate natural solar time.

(g) Coordination with contiguous states regarding timekeeping is essential to convenience of commerce.

Section 10. The Time Standardization Act is amended by changing Section 1 as follows:

(5 ILCS 440/1) (from Ch. 1, par. 3201)

Sec. 1.

(a)(1) This subsection (a) becomes inoperative if subsection (b) becomes operative.

(2) At two o'clock ante meridian of the second Sunday in March of each year, the standard time in this State shall be advanced one hour, and at two o'clock ante meridian of the first Sunday in November of each year the standard time in this State shall, by the retarding of one hour, be made to coincide with the mean astronomical time of the ninety degrees of longitude West from Greenwich, the standard official time of which is described as United States standard central time, so that between the second Sunday of March at two o'clock ante meridian in each year and the first Sunday in November at two o'clock ante meridian in each year the standard time in this State shall be one hour in advance of the United States standard central time: Provided, however, that nothing in this Act shall be so construed as to be in contravention of any federal law or authorized order of the Interstate Commerce Commission with respect to the time zones of the United States. And in all laws, statutes, orders, judgments, rules and regulations relating to the time of performance of any act of any officer or department of this State, or of any county, township, city or town, municipal corporation, agency or instrumentality of the State, or school district or school authority or relating to the time in which any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not be performed by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the State, and in all the public schools and in all institutions of the State, or of any county, township, city or town, municipal corporation, agency or instrumentality of the State or school district or school authority, and in all contracts or choses in action made or to be performed in the State, it shall be understood and intended that the time shall be the time prescribed in this Section.

(3) If the date on which time is to be advanced one hour, the date on which time is to be retarded one hour, or both, as set forth under Section 260a of the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 260a), as now or hereafter amended, renumbered, or succeeded, differs from either or both of those dates as set forth under this Section, then the dates set forth under the federal law shall control and shall apply in Illinois, notwithstanding the dates set forth in this Section.

(b)(1) This subsection (b) becomes operative on the first day of January in the first year following or coinciding with the date upon which exemption from daylight saving time in the states of Iowa and Missouri takes effect.

(2) The standard time in this State shall be made to coincide year-round with the mean astronomical time of the 90 degrees of longitude West from Greenwich, the standard official time of which is described as United States standard central time in the Uniform Time Act of 1966, 15 U.S.C. 261 and 263. The State, acting under the exemption provisions of the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966, 15 U.S.C. 260a, shall be exempt from the provisions of that law that establish daylight saving time. And in all laws, statutes, orders, judgments, rules, and regulations relating to the time of performance of any act of any officer or department of this State, or of any county, township, city or town, municipal corporation, agency or instrumentality of the State, or school district or school authority or relating to the time in which any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not be performed by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the State, and in all the public schools and in all institutions of the State, or of any county, township, city or town, municipal corporation, agency or instrumentality of the State, or school district or school authority, and in all contracts or choses in action made or to be performed in the State, it shall be understood and intended that the time shall be the time prescribed in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 95-725, eff. 6-30-08.)