



Original U.S. Law



40 Stat. 450 & 56 Stat. 9

The first two acts establishing DST in the United States.

THE

STATUTES AT LARGE

OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1918 CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS OF THE TWO

HOUSES OF CONGRESS March 19, 1918.

[S. 1854] [Public, No. 106.]

CHAPTER 24

An Act To save daylight and to provide standard time, for the United States.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of establishing the standard time of the United States, the territory of continental United States shall be divided into five zones in the manner hereinafter provided. The standard time of the first zone shall be based on the mean astronomical time of the seventy-fifth degree of longitude west from Greenwich; that of the second zone on the ninetieth degree; that of the third zone on the one hundred and fifth degree; that of the fourth zone on the one hundred and twentieth degree; and that of the fifth zone, which shall include only Alaska, on the one hundred and fiftieth degree. That the2 limits of each zone shall be defined by an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission, having regard for the convenience of commerce and the existing, junction points and division points of common carriers engaged im commerce between the severa1 States and with foreign nations, and such order may be modified from time to time.

Sec. 2. That within the respective zones created under the authority hereof the standard time of the zone shall govern the movement of all common carriers engaged in commerce between the several States or between a State and any of the Territories of the United States, or between a State or the Territory of Alaska and any of the insular possessions of the United States or any foreign country. In all statutes, orders, rules, and regulations relating to the time of performance of any act by any officer or department of the United States, whether m the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of the Government, or relating to the time within 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 United States, it shall be understood and intended that the time shall be the United States standard time of the zone within which the act is to be perfor med. Sec. 3. That at two o'clock antemeridian of the last Sunday. in March of each year the standard time of each. zone shall be advanced one hour, and at two o'clock antemeridian of the last Sunday in October in each year the standard time of each zone shall, by the retarding of one hour, be returned to the mean astronomical time of the degree of longitude governing said zone, so that between the last Sunday in March at two o'clock antemeridian and the last Sunday in October at two o'clock antemeridian in each year, the standard time in each zone shall be one how' in advance of the mean astronomical time of the degree of longitude governing each zone, respectively. Sec. 4. That the standard time of the first zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Eastern Time; that of the second zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Central Time; that of the third z one shall be known and designated as United States Standard Mountain Time; that of the fourth zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Pacific Time; and that of the fifth zone shall be known and designted as United States Standard Alaska Time. SEC. 5. That all Acts and parts of Acts in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. Approved, March 19, 1918. UNITED STATES

STATUTES AT LARGE LAWS AND CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS

ENACTED DURING THE SECOND SESSION OF THE

SEVENTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS

OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1942 January 20, 1942

[S.2160] [Public Law 403]

CHAPTER 7

AN ACT To promote the national security and defense by establishing daylight saving time.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That beginning at 2 o'clock antemeridian of the twentieth day after the date of enactment of this Act, the standard time of each zone established pursuant to the Act entitled "An Act to save daylight and to provide standard time for the United States", approved March 19, 1918, as amended, shall be advanced one hour. Sxc. 2. This Act shall cease to be in effect six months after the termination of the present war or at such earlier date as the Congress shall by concurrent resolution designate, and at 2 o'clock antemeridian of the last Sunday in the calendar month following the calendar month during which this Act ceases to be in effect the standard time of each zone shall be returned to the mean astronomical time of the degree of longitude governing the standard time for such zone as provided in such Act of March 19, 1918, as amended. Approved, January 20, 1942.