TITLE 1:
GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 502. Exemption from Daylight Savings Time. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is hereby exempted from the provisions of 15 U.S.C. § 260a. The entire Commonwealth shall observe the standard time set forth in 1 CMC § 501. Source: See 15 U.S.C. § 260a. Commission Comment: This section provides a legal basis for current practice. MIDC § 1.20.020 authorized the former district administrator to provide for daylight savings time during dates specified in administrative directives. However, the federal Uniform Time Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 260 et seq.) provides that it supersedes inconsistent state laws; see 15 U.S.C. § 260a(b). Under the Uniform Time Act, “state” includes “any possession of the United States” (15 U.S.C. § 267), and, because that term is applicable to Guam (see 1 GCA § 1010), the act applies within the Commonwealth, as well. See Covenant § 502(a)(2). Because MIDC § 1.20.020 is inconsistent with 15 U.S.C. § 260a, it no longer has force and effect. See Covenant § 505. Under the Uniform Time Act, the Commonwealth had two options: (1) follow the provisions of 15 U.S.C. § 260a and apply daylight savings time during the period from the last Sunday of April through the last Sunday of October each year; or (2) pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 260a, legislatively exempt itself from the provisions regarding daylight savings time, provided that the entire Commonwealth observes the same standard time. To reflect current practice and to promote uniformity and avoid confusion with Guam’s time system, 1 CMC § 502 implements the second option.