The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote next week on legislation that would make daylight saving time the permanent standard time across the nation, allowing states to opt out.
The bill, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in May by a 48-1 vote as part of a larger transportation package. President Donald Trump has voiced strong support for ending the twice-yearly clock changes.
Congress first established daylight saving time in the United States through the Standard Time Act of 1918 during World War I to conserve fuel. The DST provision was repealed the following year but returned during World War II as “War Time.” The Uniform Time Act of 1966 later standardized DST observance across states.
The Sunshine Protection Act, first introduced in 2018 by then-Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Vern Buchanan, both Florida Republicans, seeks to make the later “daylight saving” schedule the year-round standard. The Senate passed a version unanimously in March 2022, but the House did not act on it at that time. Florida enacted its own state-level Sunshine Protection Act in 2018, which remains contingent on federal approval.
Supporters argue the biannual clock changes disrupt daily life, cost money, and create safety issues. Trump posted that “Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks,” adding he would work to see the Sunshine Protection Act signed into law.
Critics, including Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, argue that permanent daylight saving time would result in late winter sunrises and force children to go to school in darkness in much of the country. Cotton has referenced the nation’s brief 1974 experiment with year-round daylight saving time as an “abject failure” that was quickly repealed.
Some health organizations, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have advocated for permanent standard time instead, citing better alignment with human circadian rhythms.
The bill would allow states to opt out and would not affect areas like Hawaii and most of Arizona that do not observe daylight saving time. If the House passes the measure, the Senate would need to consider it again before it could reach Trump’s desk.
Provided by Dallas Express
