Step 1 : Introduction to the question "Which agency oversees Daylight Saving Time regulations and the nation's time zone boundaries?"
...The U.S. Department of Transportation oversees Daylight Saving Time regulations and the nation's time zone boundaries under the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Although Daylight Saving Time was originally promoted as a way to conserve energy, responsibility falls to the Transportation Department because standardized timekeeping is essential for interstate commerce, aviation, railroads, and other transportation networks operating across multiple time zones. The law also allows individual states to exempt themselves from Daylight Saving Time.