By Bob Katzen

LA bill before the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight would require Massachusetts to be on Daylight Savings Time all year, meaning people would no longer change the clocks in the spring and fall.

Currently, 48 states have Daylight Savings – the exceptions being Hawaii and Arizona. Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. local time on the second Sunday in March. On the first Sunday in November areas on Daylight Saving Time return to Standard Time at 2 a.m. When Daylight Saving Time begins in the United States you turn your clocks ahead one hour (“Spring forward”). At the end of Daylight Savings Time, you turn your clocks back one hour (Fall back.”)

Sponsor Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy) said, “Reflecting the recommendations made by the Massachusetts Special Commission on the Commonwealth’s Time Zone, this bill could result in decreased energy usage; reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes, car and workplace accidents; increased workplace productivity; and less crime.”

Supporters said the bill would result in a permanent increase in daylight hours in the evening, encourage more evening activities and increase physical fitness. They noted that under the current system, changing the time even by only an hour, impacts body clocks or circadian rhythm, leading to worse sleep, particularly for infants. They noted that the mental effects of less daylight increase depression while compromising sleep duration and efficiency.

FREE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS (H 684) – A bill before the Education Committee would require all public schools, with grades 6-12 students, to maintain free menstrual products, including sanitary napkins and tampons in restrooms and to make them available in a “convenient manner that does not stigmatize any persons seeking the products.”

“Requiring schools to provide free menstrual products will not only reduce distractions throughout the day but will also reduce embarrassment by guaranteeing that essential health items are readily available when needed,” said sponsor Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin). “Such access ensures that students can attend classes and participate in extracurricular activities without interruption. Toilet paper and paper towels are available free of charge at high schools and middle schools, and menstrual products are no less essential to a student’s wellbeing. No student should face any barrier, financial or otherwise, to accessing basic health essentials.”

The bill was given initial approval in the House in 2024 but never advanced further and died in committee at the end of 2024.