Proposition 7, approved by 59% of voters, gave state lawmakers the authority to move the state to year-round daylight saving time, but only after approval from Congress. But in the years since, state lawmakers haven鈥檛 passed legislation to join the list of states officially waiting for Congress to legalize year-round daylight saving time.
The federal government does not currently permit states to be on year-round daylight saving time. It only allows permanent standard time, which Arizona and Hawaii observe all year, along with U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.
Though it鈥檚 not currently permitted, it seems staying on daylight saving time is a more popular option: have passed legislation in recent years to permanently make the switch, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Assembly member Steven Choi (R-Irvine) wants California to join Arizona and Hawaii in year-round standard time, but he wants voters to weigh in, too.
His new bill, , in its current form would switch to permanent daylight saving time upon federal approval. But Choi said the original language was a drafting mistake and he plans to amend it. The changes would also include a question asking voters to approve a change to year-round standard time.
Polls show most Americans support ending the twice-yearly time change. Choi argues the century-old tradition is inconvenient and outdated.
鈥淭o my understanding, it was to save energy, but research has shown that was not the case,鈥� he said in an interview. Choi also cited.
鈥淚 see a lot more benefits by keeping one time, standard time, to be our permanent time,鈥� he said.
Sleep researchers agree the time change affects humans鈥� natural sleep cycle and response to light. It is also linked to increased risks for heart attacks, particularly in older patients, as well as upticks in traffic accidents.
鈥淲e perform better, we feel better, we make less mistakes and there will be less fatalities if we just keep Standard Time,鈥� Dr. Kin Yuen, sleep researcher at UC San Francisco and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, told CapRadio. 鈥淚t is better for everyone鈥檚 health.鈥�
A congressional committee held a hearing earlier this week about the pros and cons of the biannual time change. And while the issue has long been debated, a permanent time change , according to the Washington Post.
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