California still observes daylight saving time because federal law prevents states from switching to standard time year-round without amending the Uniform Time Act.
Explanation
- In 2018, California voters passed Proposition 7, which gave the state legislature the power to change daylight saving time.
- To change daylight saving time, the legislature would need a two-thirds majority vote in both the state Assembly and Senate, and then approval from the federal government.
- In 2024, California Republican Senator Roger Niello introduced legislation to establish standard time year-round. The bill passed the state Senate but is still working its way through the Assembly.
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established the current version of daylight saving time in the United States. The law set a nationwide standard for daylight saving time.
The main reason for daylight saving time is to make better use of natural daylight and to save energy. However, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine says that standard time is a better fit for the human biological clock.
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