BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 385|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 385
Author: Chu (D), et al.
Amended: 8/19/16 in Senate
Vote: 21
PRIOR VOTES NOT RELEVANT
SENATE ENERGY, U. & C. COMMITTEE: 9-2, 6/13/16
AYES: Hueso, Morrell, Gaines, Hertzberg, Hill, Lara, McGuire,
Pavley, Wolk
NOES: Cannella, Leyva
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 6-1, 8/11/16
AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza
NOES: Nielsen
SENATE FLOOR: 17-17, 8/23/16 (FAIL)
AYES: Anderson, Bates, Beall, Berryhill, De León, Gaines,
Glazer, Hancock, Hueso, Lara, McGuire, Mendoza, Mitchell,
Morrell, Nguyen, Pan, Wolk
NOES: Block, Cannella, Fuller, Galgiani, Hall, Hernandez, Hill,
Huff, Leno, Leyva, Monning, Moorlach, Nielsen, Pavley, Roth,
Stone, Vidak
NO VOTE RECORDED: Allen, Hertzberg, Jackson, Liu, Wieckowski
SUBJECT: Daylight Saving Time
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill requires an initiative to be placed on the
ballot allowing voters to decide to eliminate Daylight Saving
Time (DST), also known Pacific Daylight Time or summer time, as
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it currently exists and switch to year-round standard time, also
known as winter time.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/19/16 (1) qualify the authority of
the Legislature to amend the DST Act with a majority vote so
that the authority exists only upon authorization in federal law
and (2) require the Secretary of State to provide express notice
to the Federal Secretary of Transportation stating that
California is exempting itself from DST.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Establishes, under federal law, the standard time of the
United States for each of nine zones and advances the standard
time of each zone by one hour during the period commencing at
2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday of March of each year and
ending at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November of each
year.
2)Provides that under the DST Act, which was adopted as an
initiative measure by the voters at the November 8, 1949,
special election, the standard time within the state is that
which is known, described, and designated by federal law as
United States Standard Pacific Time.
3)Requires, from 1:00 a.m. on the last Sunday of April, until
2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday of October, the standard time
within the state to be one hour in advance of United States
Standard Pacific Time.
This bill requires an initiative to be placed on the ballot
allowing voters to eliminate DST, also known Pacific Daylight
Time or "summer time", as it currently exists and switch to
year-round standard time, also known as "winter time."
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Background
This bill requires an initiative to be placed on the ballot
allowing voters to decide to eliminate DST, also known Pacific
Daylight Time or summer time, as it currently exists and switch
to year-round standard time, also known as winter time.
The federal Uniform Time Act of 1966 (UTA) established a
standardized system of operating DST throughout the U.S. and its
territories, exempting only those states and territories that
enacted laws to keep their entire state or territory on standard
time. In 1972, Congress revised the law to provide that, if a
state was in two or more time zones, the state could exempt the
part of the state that was in one time zone while providing that
the part of the state in a different time zone would observe
DST. Most states opted for a coordinated DST. The UTA allows
states to choose to remain on standard time; however, the UTA
does not allow a state to choose to remain on DST.
California observes DST. California voters passed Proposition
12 in 1949, approving DST in the state and declaring that the
standard time within the state is that which is known,
described, and designated by federal law as United States
Standard Pacific Time. Currently, California begins DST at 2:00
a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ended at 2:00 a.m. on the
first Sunday of November.
The author has introduced this bill in response to what the
author describes as "a public health emergency." To support
this dire characterization, the author references recent studies
that find DST results in increases in the number of recorded
heart attacks, greater likelihood of industrial and workplace
injuries, or a noticeable uptick in traffic accidents and
fatalities. Proponents of maintaining DTS counter the author's
arguments with claims of, and studies finding, increased public
health costs associated with reduced outdoor recreation and
increased crime that purportedly occur in the absence of DST.
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The above claims and counter claims aside, it seems clear that
DST is not an energy conservation measure. In separate studies
completed in the last decade, the California Energy Commission
found that DST saved a miniscule amount of energy, while the
National Bureau of Economic Research found that the use of DST
slightly increased the use of energy.
Related/Prior Legislation
AB 2496 (Chu, 2016) declares the intent of the Legislature to
enact legislation to establish United States Standard Pacific
Time as the standard time within the state during the entire
year. The bill is pending referral at the Assembly Desk.
AJR 28 (Obernolte, 2016) memorializes the Congress and the
President to enact legislation that would allow a state to adopt
daylight saving time year-round. The bill is pending
consideration by the full Assembly.
AJR 56 (Longville, Chapter 127, Statutes of 2000) memorialized
the President and the Congress to enact legislation to allow
states the opportunity to choose year-round daylight saving
time, in addition to standard time or the current system of
"traditional" DSY.
SJRX2 1 (Karnette, Resolution Chapter 1, Statutes of 2001-02,
Second Extraordinary Session) memorialized the Congress to
approve legislation that allows a state to uniformly apply DST
year-round.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, one-time costs
between $414,000 and $552,000 to the Secretary of State for
printing and mailing costs to place the measure on the ballot in
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the next statewide election. (General Fund).
SUPPORT: (Verified8/19/16)
None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/19/16)
Numerous individuals
Prepared by:Jay Dickenson / E., U., & C. / (916) 651-4107
8/23/16 20:23:53
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