SB 5001
In CommitteeSenate
Year-round Pacific std. time
Implementing year-round Pacific standard time.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill makes Pacific standard time (PST) the year-round time zone for Washington State, eliminating the twice-yearly clock changes between standard and daylight saving time. It is designed to improve public health, safety, and economic efficiency by removing the disruptive biannual time shifts.
- Repeals Washington’s current daylight saving time law and establishes Pacific standard time (PST) as the year-round standard time for the state.
- Amends RCW 1.20.050 to explicitly require Washington to observe only standard time, rejecting daylight saving time unless federal law changes to allow all states to adopt permanent daylight saving time.
- Prohibits cities, counties, and other local jurisdictions from adopting daylight saving time or any other time other than standard time—except under federal emergency orders in areas fully under federal control.
- Repeals outdated statutes, including RCW 1.20.051 (daylight saving time law) and RCW 1.20.052 (intent to adopt permanent daylight saving time), and related sections from earlier laws.
- Includes a contingent expiration clause: Section 3 (amending code city rules) and Section 4 (repealing old laws) will expire or take effect only if federal law changes to permit states to adopt permanent daylight saving time.
Who is affected
- General public — Residents and workers in Washington will no longer change clocks twice a year; daily schedules (e.g., school, work, transportation) will align with Pacific standard time year-round, potentially improving sleep and reducing health risks linked to time changes.
- School districts, businesses, and transportation agencies — School districts, businesses, and transportation systems will adjust to a single, consistent time zone year-round, simplifying scheduling and coordination across sectors.
- Agricultural industry — Agricultural producers may benefit from more predictable daylight hours for field work and market deliveries, aligning with natural light cycles without biannual shifts.
- Healthcare and public health agencies — Healthcare providers and public health agencies may see reduced short-term health spikes (e.g., heart attacks, injuries) following time changes, though long-term impacts will depend on implementation.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Eliminating biannual clock changes may reduce short-term spikes in traffic crashes, workplace injuries, and acute health events (e.g., heart attacks) that occur in the days following time shifts — particularly benefiting shift workers, schoolchildren, and commuters who are most vulnerable to circadian disruption.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1 (findings); Sec. 2(2)Students and educators benefit from consistent morning/evening light schedules year-round — especially during winter months, when permanent PST means school starts in darkness, but eliminates the added disruption of spring/fall time shifts. This may improve attendance, alertness, and mental health for youth.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1 (findings); Sec. 2(1)Healthcare systems may experience reduced demand for emergency services in the days following time changes (e.g., fewer heart attacks, strokes, and injuries), freeing clinical capacity and potentially lowering public health costs — especially for vulnerable populations with limited access to preventive care.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 1 (findings); Sec. 2(2)Small businesses and service-sector employers may benefit from simplified scheduling and reduced errors in shift coordination, especially those operating across state lines or relying on national supply chains — though large firms with national operations may see less benefit.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 1 (findings); Sec. 2(2)Public transit agencies and airlines may reduce operational complexity and scheduling conflicts by aligning with a single, stable time zone — potentially improving on-time performance and reducing miscommunication in regional transit networks.
TransportationPeopleRef: Sec. 1 (findings); Sec. 2(2)
Potential Concerns (5)
The bill prohibits cities, counties, and other local jurisdictions from adopting daylight saving time, removing local autonomy over timekeeping — even for institutions like schools or transit agencies that may have operational reasons to align with neighboring jurisdictions or federal schedules (e.g., air travel, rail networks). This top-down mandate reduces flexibility for local decision-making.
Local GovernmentLean peopleRef: Sec. 2(3)While the bill allows federal authorities to impose different time in areas under *full* federal control (e.g., military bases, federal facilities), this carve-out is narrow and may create confusion for commuters and workers near federal installations who must coordinate across time zones — especially if neighboring jurisdictions (e.g., Oregon or Idaho) maintain different time practices.
TransportationLean peopleRef: Sec. 2(3) (proviso)The bill cites studies linking time changes to increased traffic accidents, heart attacks, and workplace injuries — but these claims are based on *short-term* spikes after clock shifts, not long-term effects of permanent standard time. There is no evidence that permanent PST (as opposed to permanent DST) would yield net safety gains; some research suggests permanent DST may reduce evening crashes, while permanent standard time may increase morning crash risk due to darker commutes.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 1 (findings)Sections 3 and 4 expire if federal law changes to permit permanent daylight saving time — meaning the bill’s core structure is contingent on future federal action, creating potential instability and requiring future legislative intervention if federal policy shifts.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 5 (expiration clause)Businesses that rely on coordination with national or international partners (e.g., tech, finance, logistics) may face scheduling friction if Washington remains on PST while other regions adopt permanent daylight saving time — potentially causing misaligned meeting hours, reduced productivity, and increased administrative overhead.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 2(3)
Who Is Most Affected
Most everyday residents benefit from reduced circadian disruption, especially parents, shift workers, and adolescents. However, those in border regions (e.g., near Idaho or Oregon) may face confusion if neighboring jurisdictions adopt different time standards.
School districts gain scheduling consistency, but may face challenges if neighboring districts (e.g., in Oregon) remain on Mountain Time year-round, complicating inter-district sports, field trips, and transportation coordination.
Agricultural producers may benefit from alignment with natural daylight cycles, but could face logistical hurdles if buyers or transporters operate on different time standards — especially for perishable goods requiring precise delivery windows.
Tech and logistics companies with national operations may face minor coordination costs if Washington remains on PST while other states adopt permanent DST, but the elimination of biannual transitions likely outweighs this for in-state operations.
Local governments lose flexibility to align time with neighboring jurisdictions or federal schedules, potentially increasing administrative burden when coordinating regional emergency response or transit systems.