Amended in Senate May 27, 2016

Amended in Assembly May 5, 2016

Amended in Assembly May 3, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Joint ResolutionNo. 28


Introduced by Assembly Member Obernolte

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chu, Achadjian, Arambula, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Burke, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Cooley, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Gatto, Gonzalez, Gray, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Mathis, Mayes, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Quirk, Rendon, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood)

January 26, 2016


Assembly Joint Resolution No. 28—Relative to daylight saving time.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AJR 28, as amended, Obernolte. Daylight saving time.

This measure would memorialize the Congress and the President to enact legislation that would allow a state to adopt daylight saving time year round.

Fiscal committee: no.

P1    1WHEREAS, The State of California is committed to attaining
250 percent of its energy generation from renewablebegin delete sources and
P2    1to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below
2its 1990 level by 2030;end delete
begin insert sources;end insert and

3WHEREAS, Daylight saving time was a widely used 20th
4century energy reduction tool that can be expanded to meet 21st
5century energy shortages; and

6WHEREAS, A 2004 study from Rutgers University titled “The
7Effects of Daylight and Daylight Saving Time on United States
8Pedestrian Fatalities and Motor Vehicle Occupant Fatalities” found
9that year-round daylight saving time would reduce pedestrian
10fatalities by 171 or 13 percent of all pedestrian fatalities per year
11in the 5 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. time periods and reduce motor
12vehicle occupants fatalities by 195 or 3 percent per year in the
13same time period; and

14WHEREAS, A 2015 study in The Review of Economics and
15Statistics titled “Under the Cover of Darkness: How Ambient Light
16Influences Criminal Activity” estimated a 7 percent decrease in
17robberies following the shift to daylight saving time; and

18WHEREAS, Scientists have connected a number of health
19consequences with the act of switching between standard time and
20daylight saving time, including greater risks of heart attacks (New
21England Journal of Medicine, 2008), more frequent traffic accidents
22(New England Journal of Medicine, 1996) and workplace injuries
23(Journal of Applied Psychology, 2009), and increased suicide rates
24in the days immediately after the switch (Sleep and Biological
25Rhythms, 2008); and

26WHEREAS, Although neither standard time nor daylight saving
27time produces much energy reduction for the coldest states during
28the more frigid months of the year, California enjoys a temperate
29climate that would afford greater reductions in energy use by
30utilizing a year-round daylight saving time plan; and

31WHEREAS, The federal Uniform Time Act of 1966 allows
32states to decline application of daylight saving time and provides
33states with the option of practicing standard time year round, but
34does not allow states to practice daylight saving time year round;
35and

36WHEREAS, By applying daylight saving time uniformly, the
37state could avoid any inconsistencies in time application that would
38otherwise impact and confuse the broadcasting, rail, airline, and
39motor coach industries; and

P3    1WHEREAS, In House of Representatives Report No. 99-185
2from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, numerous benefits
3are listed in support of the extension of daylight saving time,
4including significant energy conservation, improved traffic safety,
5reduction in crime, economic growth, and overwhelming public
6support; and

7WHEREAS, The state would greatly benefit from having the
8option of extending daylight saving time year round; now,
9therefore, be it

10Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
11California, jointly,
That the Legislature of the State of California
12respectfully memorializes the United States Congress and the
13President of the United States to enact legislation that would allow
14a state to adopt daylight saving time year round; and be it further

15Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
16of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
17States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each
18Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the
19United States.



O

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