Bill > HB2119

This bill aims to permanently set Washington state to standard time, eliminating the biannual time changes between standard and daylight saving time. The legislation is motivated by growing medical research demonstrating the negative health impacts of time shifts, including disrupted sleep patterns, increased rates of cardiac events, workplace injuries, and traffic collisions. The bill finds that these time changes disproportionately affect children, older adults, individuals with sleep disorders, and workers in safety-sensitive occupations. By establishing permanent standard time, the legislature seeks to align more closely with human biological clocks, reduce seasonal sleep debt, and improve overall public health. Additionally, the bill recognizes the administrative and operational costs associated with biannual time changes for businesses, schools, transit agencies, healthcare systems, and government entities. The legislation amends existing state laws to prevent local jurisdictions from adopting daylight saving time and ensures that Washington will remain on standard time, consistent with the zone designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, unless national time standards change. The bill repeals previous legislation related to daylight saving time and provides a comprehensive framework for maintaining a consistent time standard across the state.

Government Affairs

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2119&Year=2025&Initiative=false