Proposed legislation could stop daylight saving time in California

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Most Americans have observed daylight saving time for decades, but there is legislation being proposed to change California time.

Californians could soon have a say in whether or not to keep daylight saving time. Assembly Bill 385 proposes repealing the Daylight Saving Time Act of 1949.

Assemblyman Kansen Chu of San Jose suggests daylight saving time can be harmful in the workplace and to people's health.

Chu says the federal government currently gives the state two options - keeping Pacific Standard Time all year round or switching between both.

"If we can get a majority of the people to agree that we don't like switching back and forth, it will give me a lot of argument to ask the federal government to allow California a third choice - which is to stay on the daylight saving time year round," Chu said.

If approved, the bill would give legislators the power to make changes in the future.

"So later on if we wanted to switch to daylight saving time year round, we would avoid the expenses of going back to the voters on the ballot," Chu said.

Some Californians say they don't think it's a big deal.

"We've grown up with it forever. It's what we know. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. It takes a little bit to get accustomed to it when we switch the times and everything, but I don't see anything really that negative about it," said Samuel Duran of Inglewood.

AB 385 just passed the Senate Committee Energy, Utilities and Communications with a 9-2 vote. Although it didn't face tough opposition, some legislators suggest it doesn't rise to the level of importance of other measures set to appear on the November ballot.

The bill now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.