Year-round Daylight Saving Time Coming to Washington State

When you switched your clocks one hour ahead in March, it was probably the last time you'll ever need to do it. The Washington Legislature is following the lead of California and is moving bills through the Senate and House that would make Daylight Time the law of the land permanently.

It's not a new idea. Various measures have been proposed in Washington, as well as other states, for many years. This year is different; there's plenty of momentum this time, says Sen. Jim Honeyford of Sunnyside, the sponsor of the State Senate's version of the bill (SB 5139).

One reason the previous efforts failed was because the bills proposed adopting Standard Time as the permanent solution. We currently have Pacific Standard Time from October to March during the winter months, when there aren't as many outdoor activities that require sunlight, and the weather isn't very conducive to evening outings. 

Originally Daylight Saving Time was instituted so farmers had an extra hour of daylight for farming, then we reverted back when the farming season ended in the fall. Now most farming goes on all year, so the thinking was to keep an extra hour of daylight throughout the year.

Another sponsor of the bill, Sen. Sam Hunt of Olympia, said he found that people wanted an extra hour of daylight in the evening, not in the morning.

The state Senate passed its version of the bill on March 12th by a vote of 46-3, and has been sent to State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections, where it is expected to be approved. Check on its status here

A similar proposal, House Bill 1196, worked its way through the State House, and on March 9, 2019 was passed by a vote of 89-7. Check on its status here

A final bill will be sent to Governor Inslee's desk for approval, and it will propose it be authorized by Congress. It would then go into effect next year.

What if Congress refuses to authorize the switch? Then Washington's legislature proposes that the state seek approval to change Washington to year-round Mountain Standard Time, which would have the same effect.

This action follows the lead of California voters, who have already approved permanent Daylight Time, and this state's sponsors say it's important that the entire West Coast be unified in their approach to time. Oregon is also considering the change to permanent Daylight Time, which would make the entire West Coast be in permanent Daylight Time.

On the east coast, Florida has passed the "Sunshine Protection Act", which keeps clocks the same year-round, and the Tennessee legislature is also considering it this year.

Whatever way it works out, it looks like Washingtonians won't be needing to change their clocks twice a year anymore. But, you won't be getting off scot-free; it's still going to be important to check your smoke detectors twice a year!