§ 261. — Zones for standard time; interstate or foreign commerce.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC261]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 6--WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND STANDARD TIME
SUBCHAPTER IX--STANDARD TIME
Sec. 261. Zones for standard time; interstate or foreign
commerce
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 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..\1\ 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.
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\1\ So in original.
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(Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, Sec. 1, 40 Stat. 450; Pub. L. 89-387, Sec. 4(a),
Apr. 13, 1966, 80 Stat. 108; Pub. L. 97-449, Sec. 2(c), Jan. 12, 1983,
96 Stat. 2439; Pub. L. 106-564, Sec. 1(a), Dec. 23, 2000, 114 Stat.
2811.)
Amendments
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''.
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.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 260, 260a, 262, 266, 267 of
this title.
