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15 U.S.C. §§ 261–264

4 sections in range

§261. Zones for standard time; interstate or foreign commerce

15 U.S.C. § 261

(a)
In general— For the purpose of establishing the standard time of the United States, the territory of the United States shall be divided into nine zones in the manner provided in this section. Except as provided in section 260a(a) of this title, the standard time of the first zone shall be Coordinated Universal Time retarded by 4 hours; that of the second zone retarded by 5 hours; that of the third zone retarded by 6 hours; that of the fourth zone retarded by 7 hours; that of the fifth zone retarded1 8 hours; that of the sixth zone retarded by 9 hours; that of the seventh zone retarded by 10 hours; that of the eighth zone retarded by 11 hours; and that of the ninth zone shall be Coordinated Universal Time advanced by 10 hours. The limits of each zone shall be defined by an order of the Secretary of Transportation, having regard for the convenience of commerce and the existing junction points and division points of common carriers engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, and any such order may be modified from time to time. As used in sections 261 to 264 of this title, the term “interstate or foreign commerce” means commerce between a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any possession of the United States and any place outside thereof.
(b)
Coordinated Universal Time defined— In this section, the term “Coordinated Universal Time” means the time scale maintained through the General Conference of Weights and Measures and interpreted or modified for the United States by the Secretary of Commerce in coordination with the Secretary of the Navy.

Footnotes

  1. 1 So in original. Probably should be followed by “by”.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

(Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, § 1, 40 Stat. 450; Pub. L. 89–387, § 4(a), Apr. 13, 1966, 80 Stat. 108; Pub. L. 97–449, § 2(c), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2439; Pub. L. 106–564, § 1(a), Dec. 23, 2000, 114 Stat. 2811; Pub. L. 110–69, title III, § 3013(c)(3), Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 598.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2007—Pub. L. 110–69 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, substituted second sentence for former second sentence which read as follows: “Except as provided in section 260a(a) of this title, the standard time of the first zone shall be based on the mean solar time of the sixtieth degree of longitude west from Greenwich; that of the second zone on the seventy-fifth degree; that of the third zone on the ninetieth degree; that of the fourth zone on the one hundred and fifth degree; that of the fifth zone on the one hundred and twentieth degree; that of the sixth zone on the one hundred and thirty-fifth degree; that of the seventh zone on the one hundred and fiftieth degree; that of the eighth zone on the one hundred and sixty-fifth degree; and that of the ninth zone on the one hundred and fiftieth meridian of longitude east from Greenwich..”, and added subsec. (b).

2000—Pub. L. 106–564, in first sentence, substituted “nine zones” for “eight zones” and, in second sentence, substituted “; that of the eighth” for “; and that of the eighth” and inserted before period at end “; and that of the ninth zone on the one hundred and fiftieth meridian of longitude east from Greenwich.”

1983—Pub. L. 97–449 substituted “Secretary of Transportation” for “Interstate Commerce Commission”.

1966—Pub. L. 89–387 increased the number of time zones from five for the territory of continental United States to eight for the territory of the United States, inserted the “exception phrase”, substituted “solar” for “astronomical” time, established the first zone on basis of the 60th degree of longitude west from Greenwich, redesignated as the second through the fifth zones based on the 75th, 90th, 105th, and 120th degrees former zones one through four based on such degrees, established the sixth zone based on the 135th degree, redesignated as the seventh zone based on the 150th degree former fifth zone based on such degree, and established the eighth zone based on the 165th degree, substituted “interstate or foreign commerce” for “commerce between the several States and and with foreign nations” and defined “interstate or foreign commerce”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Act Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, 40 Stat. 450, as amended, which is classified to sections 261 to 264 of this title, is popularly known as the “Calder Act”.

Repeals

Section 5 of act Mar. 19, 1918, repealed all conflicting acts and parts of acts.

District of Columbia

Act Mar. 31, 1949, ch. 43, 63 Stat. 29, authorized the Board of Commissioners [now the Council of the District of Columbia] to establish daylight-saving time in the District of Columbia.

Return to Standard Time

Act Sept. 25, 1945, ch. 388, 59 Stat. 537, provided, that, notwithstanding the provisions of act Jan. 20, 1942, ch. 7, 56 Stat. 9, which provided for war time, the standard time for each zone as provided for in sections 261 to 264 of this title should again become effective as of Sept. 30, 1945, at 2:00 A.M.

§262. Duty to observe standard time of zones

15 U.S.C. § 262

Within the respective zones created under the authority of sections 261 to 264 of this title the standard time of the zone shall insofar as practicable (as determined by the Secretary of Transportation) govern the movement of all common carriers engaged in interstate or foreign commerce. 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 in 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 insofar as practicable (as determined by the Secretary of Transportation) be the United States standard time of the zone within which the act is to be performed.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

(Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, § 2, 40 Stat. 451; Pub. L. 89–387, § 4(b), Apr. 13, 1966, 80 Stat. 108; Pub. L. 97–449, § 2(c), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2439.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1983—Pub. L. 97–449 substituted “Secretary of Transportation” for “Interstate Commerce Commission”.

1966—Pub. L. 89–387 inserted “insofar as practicable (as determined by the Interstate Commerce Commission)” in two places and substituted “engaged in interstate or foreign commerce” for “engaged in commerce between the several States or between a State and any one of the Territories of the United States, or between a State or the Territory of Alaska and any one of the insular possessions of the United States or any foreign country”.

§263. Designation of zone standard times

15 U.S.C. § 263

The standard time of the first zone shall be known and designated as Atlantic standard time; that of the second zone shall be known and designated as eastern standard time; that of the third zone shall be known and designated as central standard time; that of the fourth zone shall be known and designated as mountain standard time; that of the fifth zone shall be known and designated as Pacific standard time; that of the sixth zone shall be known and designated as Alaska standard time; that of the seventh zone shall be known and designated as Hawaii-Aleutian standard time; that of the eighth zone shall be known and designated as Samoa standard time; and that of the ninth zone shall be known as Chamorro standard time.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

(Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, § 4, 40 Stat. 451; Pub. L. 89–387, § 4(c), Apr. 13, 1966, 80 Stat. 108; Pub. L. 98–181, title II, § 2003(a), Nov. 30, 1983, 97 Stat. 1297; Pub. L. 106–564, § 1(b), Dec. 23, 2000, 114 Stat. 2811.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2000—Pub. L. 106–564 struck out “and” before “that of the eighth” and inserted before period at end “; and that of the ninth zone shall be known as Chamorro standard time”.

1983—Pub. L. 98–181 substituted “Alaska” for “Yukon”, “Hawaii-Aleutian” for “Alaska-Hawaii”, and “Samoa” for “Bering”.

1966—Pub. L. 89–387 added Atlantic standard time as first zone designation; redesignated as eastern standard time, central standard time, mountain standard time and Pacific standard time for second through fifth zones former designation of United States standard eastern time, United States standard central time, United States standard mountain time and United States standard Pacific time for former zones one through four; added Yukon standard time as sixth zone designation; redesignated as Alaska-Hawaii standard time for seventh zone former designation of United States standard Alaska time for fifth zone; and added Bering standard time as eighth zone designation.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Conforming Changes in Time Zone Designations

Pub. L. 98–181, title II, § 2003(b), Nov. 30, 1983, 97 Stat. 1297, provided that: Any reference to Yukon standard time in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be held and considered to be a reference to Alaska standard time. Any reference to Alaska-Hawaii standard time in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be held and considered to be a reference to Hawaii-Aleutian standard time. Any reference to Bering standard time in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be held and considered to be a reference to Samoa standard time.”

§264. Part of Idaho in fourth zone

15 U.S.C. § 264

In the division of territory, and in the definition of the limits of each zone, as provided in sections 261 to 264 of this title, so much of the State of Idaho as lies south of the Salmon River, traversing the State from east to west near forty-five degrees thirty minutes latitude shall be embraced in the fourth zone: Provided, That common carriers within such portion of the State of Idaho may conduct their operations on Pacific time.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

(Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, § 3, as added Mar. 3, 1923, ch. 216, 42 Stat. 1434; amended June 24, 1948, ch. 631, § 1, 62 Stat. 646; Pub. L. 110–69, title III, § 3013(c)(4), Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 599.)

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

The original section 3 of act Mar. 19, 1918, providing for daylight-savings, was repealed by act Aug. 20, 1919, ch. 51, 41 Stat. 280.

Amendments

2007—Pub. L. 110–69 substituted “fourth zone” for “third zone”.

1948—Act June 24, 1948, inserted proviso relating to common carriers.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1948 Amendment

Act June 24, 1948, ch. 631, § 2, 62 Stat. 646, provided that: “This Act [amending this section] shall take effect at 2 o’clock antemeridian of the second Monday following the date of its enactment.”