Why Does Senate Bill 51 Require a Super Majority Vote?

Senate Bill 51 by Sen. Roger Niello (R-Sacramento) was introduced on December 18, 2024 in order to amend Government Code Section 6808, relating to the computation of time. In order to amend this statute, it requires a 2/3 vote of both houses of the Legislature before it can reach Governor Newsom’s Desk.

SB 51 would amend a section of the California Government Code that was added by Proposition 7, “the Legislative Power to Change Daylight Saving Time Measure,” which was adopted by the statewide electorate at the November 6, 2018 ballot. The official ballot title was “Conforms California Daylight Saving Time to Federal Law. Allows Legislature to Change Daylight Saving Time Period. Legislative Statute.”

Prop. 7 set the standard time for California and set daylight saving time to begin each March and end each November. In addition to adding Section 6808, Prop. 7 repealed Proposition 12, which was called the “Daylight Saving Time Act,” which had added Section 6807 to the Government Code.

Prop. 7, which would be amended by SB 51, also authorizes the Legislature to amend its provisions by a 2/3 vote to change the dates and times of the daylight saving time period, so long as it is consistent with federal law. Government Code Section 6808 contains the following subdivision:

(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the Legislature may amend this section by a two-thirds vote to change the dates and times of the daylight saving time period, consistent with federal law, and, if federal law authorizes the state to provide for the year-round application of daylight saving time, the Legislature may amend this section by a two-thirds vote to provide for that application.

As a result, SB 51 requires a 2/3 vote of the Senate and Assembly because it proposes to change state law to get rid of daylight saving time in California and instead make standard time the official time period for the state. Prop. 7 allows this to occur so long as it is done by at least a 2/3 vote of the Legislature.