Seattle was the first city in Washington to adopt daylight saving time in 1933, with Spokane and other cities following suit. However, differences in observance across the state led to inconsistencies in train routes, business and office hours, and ferry routes. Each of the cities shortly returned to standard time. By 1947, approximately 40 percent of Americans observed summer daylight saving with little uniformity. On June 1, 1948, the city of Seattle readopted daylight saving time, along with most western Washington towns and unincorporated areas. In November 1948, Seattle voters approved a referendum to return to daylight saving for the following year and beyond, with other Washington cities following suit. In 1952, Washington voters, with 60 percent of the vote, outlawed daylight saving time. More states began to adopt daylight saving time throughout the 1950s, leaving Washington as an outlier. In 1960, Initiative 210, establishing statewide daylight saving, was passed with just under 52 percent of the vote. Six years later, the U.S. Congress enacted the Uniform Time Act, mandating a schedule for the time change.

In 2019 the Legislature passed SHB 1196, authorizing the state to observe daylight saving time year-round if authorized by the United States Congress. Since then, 19 states have passed legislation or resolutions supporting year-round daylight saving time. To date, the U.S. Congress has not amended federal law to authorize state observance of daylight saving time year-round.

The bill as referred to committee not considered.

The state of Washington will observe Pacific Standard Time year-round beginning on November 4, 2024. If the U.S. Congress authorizes the observance of daylight saving time year round, the state will do so. 

PRO: One thing that most people agree on is the dislike for changing the clocks twice per year.  A poll last year from Monmouth University shows that 65 percent of Americans do not like switching the clocks, and a poll in the Seattle Times showed that 83 percent of people prefer standard time. The fiscal cost nationwide is in excess of $340 million annually. Since standard time doesn't need Congressional approval, this will allow us to stop switching back and forth, but will still change us to daylight saving time permanently if Congress acts. The US Senate has acted on this issue as recently as 2022 but the US House shows no signs of taking action. We have waited for four years for Congress to act and they have not, so this is the next best outcome. California and Oregon have both taken steps to align with Washington since the 2019 daylight saving time bill passed and would likely do the same now. Studies have associated several health problems associated with the time change, including heart issues and workplace accidents. The changing of clocks is detrimental to our health, especially in this geographical location. For optimal health, sleep should align with the biological clock. When we don't adhere to standard time there are consequences. The change that occurs in the spring causes an acute misalignment of our behavior with our biological clock and we see reduced sleep duration  Sleep experts are in favor of permanent standard time because there are several adverse health impacts and no economic benefit. Standard time is our natural solar time as it aligns with the placement of the sun.  Let's ditch the switch.

CON: We should take a more holistic approach to this issue. Safety is a concern because with less evening sunlight, traffic accidents increase. This is especially true for walkers, bikers, and bus riders. I'd rather put up with the switch than get hit by a truck. More accidents happen during the winter months, which is during standard time. This would also be harmful to people and wildlife by increasing deer-vehicle collisions. In a study of over one million deer-vehicle collisions, there were more than 28,000 collisions in Washington, and under year-round standard time, the number of collisions would increase by 8 percent. Evidence that people get more sleep during standard time is scant and indirect. Adverse health impacts have more to do with the switch than with daylight saving time. Studies show that socialization and outdoor activity are primary determinants in life satisfaction. This will adversely affect social activities and exercise, especially in the summer. We only spend four months of the year on standard time. We have electricity and do not live by the cycle of the sun anymore. Nobody wants the sun to go down at 4:30 PM.