OLYMPIA — A proposed bill calls for ending daylight saving time in Washington.
Senate Bill 5329 would instead implement a year-round Pacific Standard Time in the state. Sponsored by seven Republican senators, the bill is currently in the Senate Committee following a public hearing Tuesday.
“Research has shown that changing to and from daylight saving time twice per year has negative impacts on public health, increases traffic accidents and crime, disrupts agriculture scheduling, and hinders economic growth,” according to the bill’s text.
The bill also cites health consequences in the days after switching to daylight saving time such as a greater risk of heart attacks, more workplace injuries and higher suicide rates.
A similar proposal had fizzled in 2015. The only states in the U.S. that don’t use daylight saving time – and stay on the same time all year – are Arizona and Hawaii.
In 2017, daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. March 12 when people set their clocks forward by one hour. Daylight saving time ends Nov. 5 when people set their clocks back one hour.
