HB 154: Emergency medical services; designate ambulance services as an essential service

Although this bill is titled as dealing with ambulance services, the actual substitute text replaces that subject entirely with a proposal about Georgia's time zone. It repeals the current Georgia law on daylight saving time (O.C.G.A. § 50-1-10) and enacts a new version called the 'Georgia Sunshine Protection Act.' The new law would require the Governor, by December 31, 2026, to formally ask the United States Secretary of Transportation to place Georgia in the Atlantic standard time zone. If the federal government approves that request, Georgia would observe Atlantic standard time year round and would stop changing clocks for daylight saving time. If Congress later passes a law allowing states to keep daylight saving time year round, Georgia would then switch to observing daylight saving time permanently in the eastern time zone, and the Governor would have to ask the federal government to move Georgia back to the eastern time zone first if it had already shifted to Atlantic time.

• Repeals the current Georgia Code section on daylight saving time (O.C.G.A. § 50-1-10) and replaces it with a new version.
• Requires the Governor to formally request that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation place Georgia in the Atlantic standard time zone by December 31, 2026.
• Provides that if the federal government approves the request, Georgia would observe Atlantic standard time year round and stop the twice-yearly clock changes.
• Sets up a fallback plan requiring Georgia to switch to permanent daylight saving time in the eastern time zone if Congress later authorizes states to do so.
• Names the law the 'Georgia Sunshine Protection Act' and states legislative findings about the effects of switching clocks twice a year.

All Georgia residents and businesses would be affected by a change to the state's official time zone and the end of twice-yearly clock changes. The Governor's office and the U.S. Department of Transportation are directly involved, since the change depends on federal approval of the Governor's request.

If approved by federal authorities, Georgians would stop resetting clocks twice a year and would gain more evening daylight during winter months, since Atlantic standard time is one hour ahead of eastern time. The change depends entirely on federal approval and could shift how Georgia's clock aligns with neighboring states.

• Section 1 names the law the 'Georgia Sunshine Protection Act.'
• Section 2 repeals the existing Code Section 50-1-10 and enacts a new version with legislative findings about the effects of daylight saving time changes.
• New subsection (c) requires the Governor to request that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation place Georgia in the Atlantic standard time zone by December 31, 2026.
• New subsection (c) states Georgia would observe Atlantic standard time year round only if the federal request is approved.
• New subsection (d) creates a fallback: if Congress authorizes year-round daylight saving time, Georgia would switch to observing it in the eastern time zone, requiring another Governor's request if Georgia had already moved to Atlantic time.
• Section 3 repeals all conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-23Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
2. 2026-03-23Senate Third Read (Senate)
3. 2026-03-19Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
4. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
5. 2026-01-12Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Tabled (Senate)
7. 2025-03-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2025-03-21Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• Gary Richardson (R, HD-125)Primary sponsor
• Ruwa Romman (D, HD-097)
• Rob Clifton (R, HD-131)
• Danny Mathis (R, HD-133)
• Victor Anderson (R, HD-010)
• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2025

   172 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #149

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 23, 2026

   45 yea, 5 nay (3 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #788

• daylight saving time
• time zone change
• Georgia state government
• Georgia Sunshine Protection Act