AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 8, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 17, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

Introduced by Senator Niello

(Coauthor: Senator Jones)

December 18, 2024

An act to amend Section 6808 of the Government Code, relating to computation of time.

Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing state law, Proposition 7, an initiative measure approved by the voters at the November 6, 2018, statewide general election, sets the standard time for California and sets daylight saving time to begin each March and end each November, as specified. Proposition 7 authorizes the Legislature to amend these provisions by a ⅔ vote to change the dates and times of the daylight saving time period, consistent with federal law, and authorizes the Legislature to amend these provisions by a ⅔ vote to provide for the application of year-round daylight saving time when authorized by federal law.

This bill would repeal daylight saving time in the state and the provisions regarding the Legislature’s authority to amend the above-described provisions by a ⅔ vote. The bill would instead require the state and all political subdivisions of the state to observe year-round standard time. The bill would exempt the state and all political subdivisions of the state from the provisions of federal law that establish the advancement of time. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Changing between standard time and daylight saving time is disruptive to health, safety, and education.

(b) The California Medical Association, California Sleep Society, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation, Sleep Research Society, and Society for Research on Biological Rhythms advise against permanent daylight saving time and recommend permanent standard time due to impacts to health.

(c) Permanent daylight saving time has historically been repealed due to its harm to health, safety, and education, after its trials during World War II and the 1970s.

(d) Federal law permits standard time by exemption from daylight saving time as the only alternative to biannual changing of clocks.

(e) Permanent standard time has been historically proven to last without incident for decades.

(f) Neighboring states are considering moving to permanent standard time so coordination with those states regarding timekeeping is essential for consistency.

SEC. 2.

Section 6808 of the Government Code is amended to read:

6808.

(a) (1) The standard time within the state is that of the fifth zone designated by federal law as Pacific standard time (15 U.S.C. Secs. 261 and 263).

(2) The state and all political subdivisions of the state shall observe the standard time pursuant to paragraph (1).

(b) The state and all political subdivisions of the state shall be exempt from the provisions of federal law that establish the advancement of time (15 U.S.C. Sec. 260a).