On 7/29/2026 4:06 PM, Brooks Harris via tz wrote:
I hope the Sunshine Protection bill fails not only because it's
problematic for TzDb but also because it creates the "kids in the dark
morning" problem which is was the reason the 1973/1974 "DST
experiment" was reversed. Seems to me like that could happen again.
The 1974/1975 D.O.T. studies are available online to read (linked in one
of my prior emails). Yes, a few children were killed in the morning
during the early months of the experiment (which as I noted began on one
of the darkest days of the year creating the largest jump scare effect
of a later sunrise). The deaths were offset by less children killed in
the afternoon due to the later sunsets. The final version of the D.O.T.
study relied heavy on public opinion of people who never were given the
chance to experience losing morning sunrise time gradually over three
months (lastSunOct-lastSunFeb).
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/10504 Preliminary D.O.T. Report
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/92250 FInal D.O.T. Report Executive
Summary
If H.R. 139 becomes law and is made effective prior to November 1st or
delayed until next year (no effect seen until November 7th 2027) the
country will have the opportunity to experience a gradual loss of
morning sunrise time (no jump scare). The last change (made effective
2007) included the right to revert. Not currently in this bill (or S. 29).
(You can hold out hope for H.R. 9638, which has no senate version and
would have to make it through a committee that already approved H.R. 139
and a house that overwhelmingly approved H.R. 139. I would not expect it
to progress.)
Now, back to the work of testing systems and getting them ready for the
potential change as written in H.R 139.
