Fall Back: Here’s an update on Washington state’s daylight saving time

It’s that time of the year again when we all set our clocks back, but wasn’t daylight saving time supposed to end in Washington? Yes, indeed it was, but it turns out changing time is a little more complicated than anyone thought. Here’s an update on Washington state daylight saving time.

If you can remember all the way back to the pre-pandemic years, Washington State passed House Bill 1196. This bill’s purpose is to allow “for the year-round observation of daylight saving time.” This change has been considered in several other states and is not observed in both Arizona and Hawaii.

Interestingly enough, the practice originated in Germany “as a way to conserve fuel during World War I” and then spread to the rest of Europe and the US by March 1918. What’s more, the practice has been linked to an increase in accidents and health risks due to the loss of sleep. Between its history, associated issues, and annoyance factor, it only makes sense that Washington State has decided to get rid of it.

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So why then is Washington State still observing daylight savings time this November? It’s because the bill is still waiting to be passed at a federal level by Congress. To make matters even more frustrating, the US Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 which is “a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, and for other purposes.” This, however, needs to be approved by both the House and President.

As you can guess, there’s been no recent movement for our bill or the Sunshine Protection Act. So this Sunday, November 6th, don’t forget to set your clocks back and go to bed an hour earlier. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for an extra hour of sleep next year.