# "Fall Back" In November next year? What gives?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 29, 2006, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321 "2006-10-29T11:35:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321/21 "2006-10-30T19:59:35Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth]
Cite? :dubious:
[/QUOTE]
> [@](#):
>
> The bill amends the Uniform Time Act of 1966 by changing the start and end dates of daylight saving time starting in 2007. Clocks will be set ahead one hour on the second Sunday of March instead of the current first Sunday of April. Clocks will be set back one hour on the first Sunday in November, rather than the last Sunday of October. This will affect accuracy of electronic clocks that had pre-programmed dates for adjusting to daylight saving time. The date for the end of daylight saving time has the effect of increasing evening light on Halloween (October 31).
Source: [Energy Policy Act of 2005 - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Policy_Act_of_2005)
The entire Wikipedia article is worth the read since extending DST plays only a small part in the entire legislation.
---
### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321/22 "2006-10-30T20:20:21Z")
[QUOTE=Chum]
Geez. If they’re going to take the time to officially change the dates, why don’t they just get rid of the whole thing altogether?
[/QUOTE]
Isn’t California trying to get Congress to allow them to be on DST year-round?
---
### Author:  [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321/23 "2006-10-30T20:36:00Z")
> [@SmackFu](#):
>
> Me too. Today I get to drive home in the dark. Boo.
Me too ☹
Last year, I planned a vacation in Australia in mid-November, just to avoid some of the days when the sun sets way too early and I have to drive home in the dark. Now, I’d like to live 6 months in California and 6 months in Australia, so I would never have to deal with the sun setting way too early.
Is Australia going to be changing their DST dates, too? What about Europe?
[QUOTE=alphaboi867]
Isn’t California trying to get Congress to allow them to be on DST year-round?
[/QUOTE]
[There is an online petition](http://www.petitiononline.com/RSS1777/petition.html), but it’s not like it’s a matter of serious ongoing debate. Your post was the first I had heard about it.
---
### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321/24 "2006-10-30T20:42:18Z")
[QUOTE=Duckster]
Source: [Energy Policy Act of 2005 - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Policy_Act_of_2005)
The entire Wikipedia article is worth the read since extending DST plays only a small part in the entire legislation.
[/QUOTE]
Sorry, dude, not Wiki, not for something like that. But even so, Wiki makes no claim that more daylight on Halloween is any reason at all for the Bill, or even that tiny portion (although you are correct, it is a HUGE fucking bill, and that’s a teeny portion of it)
Here’s the exact section:
"SEC. 110. DAYLIGHT SAVINGS.
```
(a) Amendment.--Section 3(a) of the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15
```
U.S.C. 260a(a)) is amended–
(1) by striking `first Sunday of April'' and inserting `second Sunday of March’‘; and
(2) by striking `last Sunday of October'' and inserting `first Sunday of November’'.
```
(b) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) <<NOTE: 15 USC 260a
```
note.\>\> shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act
or March 1, 2007, whichever is later.
```
(c) Report to Congress.--Not <<NOTE: 15 USC 260a note.>> later than
```
9 months after the effective date stated in subsection (b), the
Secretary shall report to Congress on the impact of this section on
energy consumption in the United States.
```
(d) Right to Revert.--Congress retains the right to revert the
```
Daylight Saving Time back to the 2005 time schedules once the Department
study is complete."
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109\_cong\_public\_laws&docid=f:publ058.109](http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ058.109)
Here what Congress has to say:
[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d109:2:./temp/~bdsaaK:@@@D&summ2=m&](http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d109:2:./temp/~bdsaaK:@@@D&summ2=m&)
“Sec. 110) Amends the Uniform Time Act of 1966 to extend standard daylight time from March to November (currently it runs from April to October). Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the impact of this extension upon energy consumption in the United States. Retains the right of Congress to revert Daylight Saving Time back to the 2005 time schedules.”
Indeed as Wiki sez “The date for the end of daylight saving time has \*the effect \* of increasing evening light on Halloween (October 31).” (italics mine) however, that _effect_ does not mean that more light on Halloween was any reason for that section of the bill. An extensive Google search finds no members of Congress making that argument as a reason for the bill, and in fact oddly, the exact same wording “The date for the end of daylight saving time has the effect of increasing evening light on Halloween (October 31).” is used over and over again, which makes me suspicious the hand of some Wiki “editor” is at work.
What I’d like is some legit cite that longer daylight hours on Oct 31 was a reason for that section, as opposed to an unintended happenstance from trying to save energy. Too many tinfoil hatted dudes try and put some sort of wierd conspiracy theory onto DST as it is.
---
### Author:  [@Rachm\_Qoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachm_Qoch)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321/25 "2006-10-30T21:47:21Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth]
What I’d like is some legit cite that longer daylight hours on Oct 31 was a reason for that section, as opposed to an unintended happenstance from trying to save energy. Too many tinfoil hatted dudes try and put some sort of wierd conspiracy theory onto DST as it is.
[/QUOTE]
Rothman Introduces “[Halloween Safety Act Of 2004](http://www.house.gov/rothman/news_releases/rel_031804.htm)”
To Extend Daylight Saving Time One Week
---
### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321/26 "2006-10-30T22:09:14Z")
[QUOTE=Rachm Qoch]
Rothman Introduces “[Halloween Safety Act Of 2004](http://www.house.gov/rothman/news_releases/rel_031804.htm)”
To Extend Daylight Saving Time One Week
[/QUOTE]
Good cite, but the Rothman “Halloween Safety Act Of 2004” is not the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Although I guess it is possible that the “Halloween Safety Act Of 2004” died in commitee as Congress was already considering extending DST due to energy savings. The “Halloween Safety Act Of 2004” \*was \* referred to the Energy Commitee, so I guess we’d have to get minutes of that august body to find out. But there ain’t enough toothpicks in the world to prop my eyelids open for that!
---
### Author:  [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321/27 "2006-10-31T00:11:35Z")
On the Car Talk show this week, Tom and Ray made a crack about entering Daylight Wasting Time.
I think that’s what I’m going to call it, now.
---
### Author:  [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321/28 "2006-10-31T02:20:50Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun]
Why are they moving the autumn clock adjustment to November? Are they moving the spring one as well?
[/QUOTE]
It is so the politicians and other gov’t. employees will have more time to play golf!
Supposedly to save energy.
Isn’t it a trial for a couple of years as a test?
Rally the troops. Lets let congress know how we all feel about tinkering with the clocks. Some ‘not to bright’ congerssional aide slipped it into a bigger bill and it got past the congressmen and enacted into law. (As with most laws congress passes, they generally don’t have a clue as to the full import and the consequences of the legislation the vote on. Throw the rascals out. They deserve the best of everything including being out of the stress and headaches of the position the’re in. 🙂
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fall-back-in-november-next-year-what-gives/378321/29 "2006-10-31T02:43:07Z")
Dude- \*\*Cecil \*\*sez it saves energy. Thus, \*ipso facto, \*it does. 'Nuff said. 😛
If it helps clean the air and reduce our dependence on foriegn oil, I’m all for it.
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