California Senate Bill SB1197

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/19/26
• Refer: 3/4/26
• Report Pass: 4/7/26
• Refer: 4/7/26

Caption

An act to amend Section 6808 of the Government Code, relating to computation of time.

Summary

SB 1197 would change California’s timekeeping law to eliminate daylight saving time and require the state, and all of its political subdivisions, to observe year-round Pacific standard time. The bill amends Government Code Section 6808 and would repeal the existing statutory framework that sets the annual spring-forward/fall-back schedule and the Legislature’s current authority to adjust daylight saving time dates by a two-thirds vote. The bill also includes a federal-law contingency: if Congress or the federal government were to authorize year-round daylight saving time, California and its local governments would be required to conform to that federal adoption. The measure contains legislative findings asserting that clock changes are disruptive to health, safety, and education, and cites medical and sleep organizations in support of permanent standard time.

Impact

If enacted, SB 1197 would substantially revise California’s time statute by replacing seasonal daylight saving time with permanent standard time statewide, including for cities, counties, and other political subdivisions. It would remove the current statutory provisions that allow the Legislature to change daylight saving time dates by a two-thirds vote and would instead rely on a federal-law exemption from advancing clocks. The bill would also preserve conformity with any future federal authorization of year-round daylight saving time, limiting state divergence from federal law.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have some support in committee, but not unanimous support. It advanced 10-1 on a do-pass motion before being re-referred to Appropriations, and later was placed on the suspense file by a 7-0 vote. That pattern suggests the concept was viewed favorably enough to move forward, while still raising fiscal, policy, or implementation questions that warranted further review. The bill text itself frames the issue as a health and safety matter, indicating a generally supportive rationale among proponents.

Contention

The main point of contention is the choice between permanent standard time and permanent daylight saving time, with SB 1197 explicitly rejecting the latter. The bill cites medical and sleep-health organizations to argue that daylight saving time changes are harmful, while its findings also acknowledge the need for coordination with neighboring states and federal law. Another likely issue is the bill’s interaction with Proposition 7 and federal preemption: it would repeal the current voter-approved daylight saving time framework and depend on a federal exemption, which may raise legal and implementation concerns for opponents or fiscal reviewers.