LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A bill to "lock the clock" and prevent Nevadans from falling back and springing forward every year to observe daylight saving time passed the Assembly on Thursday.
Assembly Bill 81, by Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch, D-Washoe County, now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
WATCH: Nevada Assembly passes 'Lock the Clock' bill
If approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor, the bill would keep Nevada on permanent standard time year-round, starting in 2026. It's the latest iteration of an idea that's been proposed several times in previous sessions, without success.
La Rue Hatch has pitched the bill as a health and safety measure, pointing to statistics that show more car accidents, heart attacks and strokes after a time change, among other problems.
"This is a bill which will save lives. That is what we are talking about," La Rue Hatch said on the Assembly floor Thursday. "When we change the clocks, people die."
La Rue Hatch also noted the bill was bipartisan, with Republican and Democratic co-sponsors, as well as sponsors in both the Assembly and Senate.
So, too, was the vote on it — 27 in favor and 15 against. Those voting no included Democrats Tracy Brown May, Selena Torres-Fossett and Howard Watts, all D-Clark County. But Republicans Rich DeLong, Dr. Rebecca Edgeworth, Melissa Hardy, all R-Clark County, voted yes.
Opponents said they supported ending the twice-yearly time change, but preferred staying on daylight saving time year round, rather than standard time.
Assemblyman Burt Gurr, R-Elko County, said his rural constituents didn't want to get up at sunrise early in the morning, or go to bed early in the evening at sunset.
"I understand that in the south that's not that big a deal, with all the neon and everything," Gurr said. "In the north, we don't have that much neon, out in the rural areas."
Assembly Minority Leader Gregory Hafen II, R-Nye County, agreed.
"We all agree, we really do need to stop changing time. It's bad for our health," Hafen said. "Like my colleague from Elko, I do agree we should stay on daylight saving time."
But La Rue Hatch noted in her remarks that the federal government currently doesn't permit any state to switch to permanent daylight saving time; states may only opt-out of the time change and thus remain on permanent standard time year round.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, however, 17 states have passed laws or resolutions calling for a switch to daylight time year-round as soon as federal law allows it.
Currently, Arizona and Hawaii have opted out of daylight saving time and are on permanent standard time. But 30 states — including neighboring California — have legislation pending on the time change.
The bill now moves to the state Senate, where a similar measure was sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus, R-Lyon County.
