It’s that time of year again, where everyone needs to set their clocks forward again. It’s the least favorite time of year for many who suffer from sleep deprivation due to the change. But didn’t California vote to end the time change once and for all?
If you are one of the many people who could have sworn that we voted to make daylight savings time a year-round thing, you aren’t crazy. In 2018 a statewide measure known as Proposition 7 passed with 59.75% support in favor of the change. But the law can’t be changed that easily.
The problem is with the Uniform Time Act of 1966 which gives Congress, and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation full jurisdiction of time-zone boundaries. Under the act, states are allowed to opt out of observing daylight saving time, but they can’t decide to opt in on a permanent basis.
Despite Proposition 7 passing almost 3 to 2, nothing has moved forward on the federal level. In 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act that would have made daylight saving time permanent, but it has never been passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Many California residents would welcome a “ditch the switch” law, and they have scientific support to their cause. The American Medical Association has given a big thumbs-up to a year-round standard time, stating public health and safety risks as a leading factor.
Unfortunately for those living in California, we are still at the mercy of the U.S. House of Representatives to provide a solution. Until then, don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour tonight.
