Permanent daylight saving time may be coming to California. What could it mean for you?

The scourge of changing our clocks twice a year, including the ones in our cars and microwaves, could soon be replaced with darker mornings and lighter evenings.

Yes, friends, the debate over adopting permanent daylight saving time is back and potentially nearing a resolution.

The House of Representatives passed a measure Tuesday to make daylight saving time permanent in almost every state, including California, with the bill awaiting consideration by the Senate and president.

My colleague Iris Kwok detailed the bill’s progress, while Essential California spoke with Temecula’s Wilson Creek Winery, as they considered how the change could affect their businesses.

Let’s jump into the details.

The next steps

The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House with a bipartisan tally of 308-117. A Senate companion bill, S. 29, is still being debated.

Should the Senate pass the bill, President Trump, who has supported the act, would likely sign it into law.

Chances of success

It is unclear whether the current effort has enough support in the Senate to reach the president’s desk.

The Senate’s bill has 19 bipartisan sponsors, including Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). In a statement last year, Padilla said, “More daylight after work means more business and more active, safer California communities.”

The proposal also has bipartisan opposition.

In a speech last year, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) argued that while year-round daylight saving time might benefit some activities and areas — such as golfing in Florida and Alabama — residents of northern states and in western time zones might not see the sun rise until 9 a.m. in the winter.

How DST affects California

Sunrise and sunset times would generally be marked on the clock about an hour later than in standard time.

Instead of switching to standard time in November, states would continue with daylight time year-round. Since it’s unlikely this legislation will pass quickly enough to take effect this year, permanent DST likely won’t happen until 2027.

Its effects, however, would be more profound in the winter. Commutes to work and drives to school would more often take place in morning darkness. On the flip side, evening light would extend an hour longer.

A win for Temecula’s Wilson Creek Winery

The Riverside County winery, with more than 70 acres of vineyards, sees the adoption of daylight saving time as a positive for some employees and not impacting others.

On the farming side, DST has little effect, said vineyard manager Greg Pennyroyal, also a professor of viticulture at Mt. San Jacinto Community College.

“We basically have a rolling schedule and we’re starting about 30 minutes before sunrise every day,” Pennyroyal said. “So, when we’re out there, the sun is peaking out over the horizon and it’s nice and cool.”

Pennyroyal said the legislation may have mattered decades earlier, when the average vineyard worker clocked a 10-hour shift. But with eight-hour shifts, there’s enough daylight in even the shortest winter days.

Where the daylight shift matters, however, is on the hospitality end of his business, Pennyroyal said.

Wilson Creek operates a restaurant along with a bar and grill that feature musical acts, wine tasting and wedding receptions, among other events.

Pennyroyal noted that those workers would need about a week to adapt physically to the time shift, but it could mean more business in the afternoons.

“And having an extra hour of light for business, yes, we would be open to that,” he said.

The week’s biggest stories

(Jonathan Alcorn / For The Times)

Biblical plagues wrecking L.A. County

• Roughly 17 million gallons of water spilled into West Hollywood, closing Sunset Boulevard for days.
• A key stretch of Sunset Boulevard on the West Hollywood Strip is closed indefinitely after a trunk line rupture carved a massive sinkhole, stalling traffic and business along the nightlife corridor.
• State regulators cite Lineage over putrid odor of rotting meat spreading in Boyle Heights.
• Eaton and Palisades fire survivors ran into a new barrier just as they were rebuilding their homes.

World Cup 2026

• Argentine star Lionel Messi and Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal, stars of iconic photo shoot, to battle for World Cup crown.
• The spotlight on Sunday’s World Cup final will shine brightest on two men, one playing the last game of his sixth tournament and the other the final game of his first.
• The United Kingdom urges FIFA to investigate Argentina over Falklands banner at World Cup in loss by English team.
• How Spain ‘recaptured the spirit of 2010’ in its run to the World Cup final.
• News Analysis: Seven reasons why U.S. men’s soccer keeps crashing out of the World Cup.

Unexpected deaths

• What caused a deadly boat sinking in San Francisco Bay?
• It is not yet clear how a 49-foot boat with three levels rolled on its side and toppled into the water.
• A retired Long Beach teacher who went missing in Mojave Desert was found dead.
• A mom and boyfriend are arrested after a toddler accidentally killed himself with a firearm in San Bernardino County.

Health and safety

• California-based Taylor Farms pulled its iceberg lettuce from U.S. stores amid cyclosporiasis outbreak.
• The outbreak has been caused by a food and waterborne parasite and has made thousands of people sick with debilitating bouts of diarrhea this summer.
• The federal government wants an investigation into rare child cancer cases in Orange County.

What else is going on

• Gang member recruited on Instagram for a multimillion-dollar scheme.
• An Orange County man was charged with killing his mom in her car in front of police station.
• An escaped Northern California prisoner captured in Mexico is at large again.
• ‘Fast & Furious’ coaster is not delayed by ‘noise complaints,’ Universal Studios says.
  

Must-read

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The San Andreas fault has gone ominously silent. Scientists fear when it finally snaps

There is no easy explanation for how the San Andreas fault, responsible for some of America’s most powerful earthquakes, has produced so few in the last century. But it is clear that the quiet period is only increasing the strain.

July 18, 2026

Other meaty reads

• One-eyed rescue cat with Long Beach cult following celebrates 15th birthday in style.
• As great whites and humans share the waters, shark lab runs out of funding.
• Opinion: Trump’s noncitizen voting fraud claims will backfire.
• Opinion: Trump’s voter fraud speech was bait. Stop biting.
• Opinion: Voters want what the Democrats’ left wing offers.
  

For your downtime

(Richard Harbaugh / Disneyland Resort)

Going out

• How to enjoy the Happiest Place on Earth: He gives Disneyland advice for a living. These are his tips for having the best day ever.
• An Ode to Homer: To screen Christopher Nolan’s 70mm ‘Odyssey,’ L.A. theaters raced to resurrect a nearly lost craft.
• Pricey sandos: How a $38 Armenian brisket sandwich ignited debate over culture and cost.
  

Staying in

• The beautiful game’s final days: Here are the World Cup championship and third-place game start times and how to watch.
• Reflecting upon classic literature: Is ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ phony or still cool? 6 writers reflect on its legacy at 75.
• 🥗 Here’s a recipe for pasta alla gricia.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, Sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

L.A. Timeless

A selection of the very best reads from The Times’ 143-year archive.

Soccer

The world came for soccer. What it discovered about America in 1994 was something else.

They came for the soccer. We gave them Americana. Their tickets entitled them to World Cup games.

July 10, 1994

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Hailey Branson-Potts, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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