Permanent standard time

AN ACT Relating to moving Washington state to permanent standard 1
time; amending RCW 1.20.050 and 35A.21.190; amending 2019 c 297 s 4 2
(uncodified); creating a new section; repealing RCW 1.20.055; 3
repealing 2019 c 297 s 3; and repealing 2019 c 297 s 5 (uncodified).4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the biannual 6
shift between standard time and daylight saving time imposes 7
avoidable and well-documented burdens on the health, safety, and 8
economic well-being of Washington residents. A growing body of 9
medical and public health research demonstrates that the abrupt 10
changes to the sleep-wake cycle disrupt circadian rhythms and are 11
associated with increased rates of cardiac events, workplace 12
injuries, traffic collisions, and reduced productivity in the days 13
immediately following the time change. These impacts fall 14
disproportionately on children, older adults, individuals with sleep 15
disorders, and workers in safety-sensitive occupations.16
The legislature further finds that maintaining permanent standard 17
time provides a more stable alignment with human biological clocks, 18
reduces seasonal sleep debt, and supports long-term health outcomes. 19
Leading sleep medicine organizations have concluded that permanent 20
H-2476.2
HOUSE BILL 2119
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Dufault, Marshall, Dye, Griffey, and Bernbaum
Prefiled 12/09/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on State Government & Tribal Relations.
p. 1 HB 2119
standard time is the option most consistent with optimal public 1
health. 2
In addition to health and safety benefits, the legislature 3
recognizes that eliminating the biannual clock adjustments will 4
reduce administrative and operational costs across both public and 5
private sectors. Businesses, school districts, transit agencies, 6
health care systems, and state and local governments incur recurring 7
expenses related to schedule adjustments, system reconfiguration, 8
software updates, and public communication each time the clock is 9
changed. Permanent standard time eliminates these inefficiencies and 10
aligns Washington with the growing number of jurisdictions 11
reconsidering the necessity of daylight saving time.12
Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to discontinue the 13
practice of observing daylight saving time and to place the state of 14
Washington on permanent standard time in order to promote public 15
health, enhance safety, improve government and business efficiency, 16
and reduce unnecessary costs. 17
Sec. 2. RCW 1.20.050 and 1953 c 2 s 1 are each amended to read 18
as follows: 19
(1) The standard time for the state of Washington is the zone 20
designated by the United States department of transportation for the 21
state of Washington under the uniform time act, 15 U.S.C. Secs. 261 22
and 263, as determined by reference to coordinated universal time.23
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary by 24
the United States government relating to adoption of daylight saving 25
time by all of the states, the state of Washington elects to reject 26
such time and elects to continue in force the terms of subsection (1) 27
of this section, relating to standard time in Washington.28
(3) No county, city, or other political subdivision of this state 29
shall adopt any provision for the observance of daylight saving time, 30
or any time other than standard ((, except pursuant to a gubernatorial 31
proclamation declaring an emergency during a period of national war 32
and authorizing such adoption, or )) unless ((other than standard )) 33
another time is established on a national basis: PROVIDED, That this 34
section shall not apply to orders made by federal authorities in a 35
local area entirely under federal control. 36
(4) This section shall not be construed to affect the standard 37
time established by United States law governing the movements of 38
common carriers engaged in interstate commerce or the time for 39
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performance of an act by an officer or department of the United 1
States, as established by a statute, lawful order, rule, or 2
regulation of the United States or an agency thereof.3
Sec. 3. RCW 35A.21.190 and 1967 ex.s. c 119 s 35A.21.190 are 4
each amended to read as follows: 5
No code city shall adopt any provision for the observance of 6
daylight saving time other than as authorized by RCW 1.20.050 ((and 7
1.20.051)). 8
Sec. 4. 2019 c 297 s 4 (uncodified) is amended to read as 9
follows: 10
The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:11
(1) ((RCW 1.20.050 (Standard time— Daylight saving time) and 1953 12
c 2 s 1;13
(2))) RCW 1.20.051 (Daylight saving time) and 2018 c 22 s 2, 1963 14
c 14 s 1, & 1961 c 3 s 1; and 15
(((3))) (2) RCW ((1.20.--- and 2019 c . . . s 1 (section 1 of 16
this act))) 1.20.052 and 2019 c 297 s 1. 17
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The following acts or parts of acts are 18
each repealed:19
(1) 2019 c 297 s 3; 20
(2) RCW 1.20.055 and 2019 c 297 s 2; and 21
(3) 2019 c 297 s 5 (uncodified). 22
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p. 3 HB 2119