Full Initiative Text — Last Fall Back Act | End Daylight Saving Time in Washington State

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Section I

Findings and Declarations

The Legislature of the State of Washington, and the people of Washington through the citizens' initiative process, hereby find and declare:

The biannual changing of clocks between standard time and daylight saving time disrupts human circadian rhythms, negatively impacting sleep, cardiovascular health, mental health, and worker productivity. Peer-reviewed research consistently demonstrates measurable increases in heart attacks, strokes, vehicle accidents, and workplace injuries in the days following each time change.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the American Heart Association, and numerous other health organizations have formally recommended the permanent elimination of seasonal clock changes, which disrupt natural human physiology.

Washington State enacted Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5139 in 2019, expressing the legislature's intent to observe daylight saving time year-round contingent upon federal authorization. That federal authorization has not been enacted into law as of the effective date of this Act.

The people of Washington State have waited long enough for federal action and hereby exercise their constitutional authority to end the disruption of clock-changing and adopt a stable, health-positive timekeeping policy — with an orderly path to align with any future federal authorization of permanent daylight saving time.

Section II

Definitions

As used in this Act:

(1) "Standard Time": Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8), which is the time observed in the Pacific Time Zone during the winter months prior to enactment of this Act.
(2) "Daylight Saving Time": Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7), advanced one hour beyond Standard Time.
(3) "Fall Back Date": The first Sunday in November on which clocks would otherwise be set back one hour under 15 U.S.C. § 260a and applicable federal regulation.
(4) "Spring Forward Date": The second Sunday in March on which clocks would otherwise be set forward one hour under 15 U.S.C. § 260a and applicable federal regulation.
(5) "Federal DST Authorization": Any federal statute enacted after the effective date of this Act that expressly permits individual states to observe daylight saving time on a year-round basis, or that otherwise provides a legal mechanism by which Washington State may lawfully remain on daylight saving time throughout the calendar year.
(6) "Effective Date": The date this Act becomes law following legislative action or approval at the general election.

Section 3.1

Permanent Adoption of Standard Time

Washington State shall permanently observe Standard Time pursuant to the following schedule:

(a) If the Effective Date falls on or before a Fall Back Date in any given year, Washington State shall set clocks back one hour at 2:00 a.m. on that Fall Back Date in the customary manner, and that transition shall constitute the final clock change under this Act. Washington State shall thereafter permanently observe Standard Time and shall not advance clocks on any subsequent Spring Forward Date, unless and until the conditions of Section 3.3 are satisfied.

(b) If the Effective Date falls after a Fall Back Date and before the immediately following Spring Forward Date — including the circumstance where the Act is certified following a November general election — Washington State shall not advance clocks on that immediately following Spring Forward Date. Washington State shall instead permanently observe Standard Time as of the Effective Date, with no further Fall Back or Spring Forward transitions, unless and until the conditions of Section 3.3 are satisfied. For avoidance of doubt: an initiative approved at a November general election and certified in November or December shall cause Washington State to skip the following March Spring Forward, and Standard Time shall be in continuous effect from the date of certification forward.

Section 3.2

Cancellation of Daylight Saving Time Transitions

Upon Washington State entering the permanent Standard Time period as provided in Section 3.1:

(a) No state agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision of Washington State shall advance official timekeeping by one hour on any subsequent Spring Forward Date, nor shall the state advance any official clock, system, or record for purposes of observing Daylight Saving Time;

(b) All references in state statute, rule, contract, or official communication to "Pacific Daylight Time" or "PDT" shall be construed as "Pacific Standard Time" or "PST" for purposes of state timekeeping;

(c) Washington State shall remain on Standard Time on a permanent, year-round basis unless and until the provisions of Section 3.3 are triggered.

Section 3.3

Conditional Transition to Permanent Daylight Saving Time

Notwithstanding Sections 3.1 and 3.2, if, following the Effective Date of this Act, the United States Congress enacts a Federal DST Authorization as defined herein:

(a) Washington State shall transition from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time on the first Spring Forward Date that is at least sixty (60) days after the Federal DST Authorization is signed into law;

(b) Upon such transition, Washington State shall permanently observe Daylight Saving Time (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-7) year-round, and shall not thereafter set clocks back on any Fall Back Date;

(c) The Governor shall, within thirty (30) days of the enactment of Federal DST Authorization, issue a proclamation specifying the transition date and directing all state agencies to update official timekeeping accordingly;

(d) Should the Federal DST Authorization be subsequently repealed, invalidated, or otherwise rendered ineffective, Washington State shall return to permanent Standard Time on the next Fall Back Date following such change in federal law, and Section 3.2 shall resume full effect.

Section 3.4

Amendment of Existing Law

RCW 1.20.050 and all related provisions of the Revised Code of Washington governing the observation of standard and advanced time are hereby amended to conform with this Act. To the extent that Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5139 (2019), codified at RCW 1.20.050(2), provides for the observation of daylight saving time year-round contingent upon federal authorization, said provision is hereby superseded and replaced by Section 3.3 of this Act, which governs the timing and conditions of any transition to permanent daylight saving time.

Section 3.5

Regulatory Authority

The Governor, through the Washington State Department of Commerce or such other agency as the Governor designates, is authorized to adopt rules and issue guidance necessary to implement this Act, including but not limited to coordination with federal authorities, update of state systems and databases, public notification, and the issuance of transition guidance to municipalities, school districts, health care facilities, and transportation operators.

Section 3.6

Severability

If any provision of this Act, or its application to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this Act and the application of its provisions to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

Section 3.7

Liberal Construction

This Act shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purpose of eliminating the biannual clock change and providing Washington State residents with stable, predictable, and health-aligned timekeeping.

Section 3.8

Effective Date

This Act takes effect immediately upon passage by the Legislature or upon certification of approval at the general election, whichever occurs first. The first operational effect of this Act depends on the timing of the Effective Date as described in Section 3.1: if enacted before a Fall Back Date, the last clock change is that Fall Back; if enacted after a Fall Back Date (including following a November general election), the immediately following Spring Forward Date is canceled and Washington State is on permanent Standard Time from the Effective Date forward. In no case shall more than one additional Spring Forward occur after the Effective Date.

Fiscal Note

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) and the Office of Financial Management (OFM) are directed to prepare a comprehensive fiscal note within ninety (90) days of the Effective Date addressing: (1) estimated cost savings to state agencies from elimination of biannual timekeeping updates; (2) economic impacts on Washington businesses and industries; (3) health system cost implications consistent with existing research on time-change-related health impacts; and (4) any implementation costs for the transition period.

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