US House backs permanent daylight saving time in 308-117 vote, fate uncertain in Senate

What the bill would do

The Sunshine Protection Act, passed by the House on Tuesday with 308 votes in favor and 117 against, would end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks that most Americans have observed since the 1960s. If enacted, clocks would no longer return to standard time in November, keeping an extra hour of evening daylight year-round. States could opt out of permanent daylight saving time if they do not currently observe it or voted to adopt permanent standard time before the law changed.

Currently, Hawaii and most of Arizona already stay on standard time throughout the year, as do US territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Nineteen other states have passed legislation to adopt permanent daylight saving time, including Alabama, Oregon, Minnesota, and Texas, but those laws remain unenforceable until federal law changes.

Senate uncertainty

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday it was unclear whether the bill could garner the 60 votes needed for passage in the chamber. "We're looking at it. You know the House had a big vote. There's a lot of interest in it from members on our side over here. Some for, some against," the South Dakota Republican told reporters. Asked whether he could support the legislation, Thune replied: "I'm from a northern clime. I voted against it in committee."

The bill faces opposition from Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, who has argued that permanent daylight saving time would result in very late winter sunrises and force children in many parts of the country to go to school in darkness. The House leadership agreed to allow a vote on the measure this week as an incentive for Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican who had maintained a legislative blockade while seeking Senate action on a voting restriction bill backed by Trump. Luna co-sponsored the measure along with Florida Representative Vern Buchanan, who introduced the bill.

Trump's support

President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the clock changes and strongly supports the measure. In a May post on Truth Social, he described the bill as a way to save "hundreds of millions of dollars" spent by people, cities, and states changing clocks.

It's time that people can stop worrying about the clock, not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production.

Trump later added that the much more popular alternative gives you a "longer, brighter day," writing, "who can be against that."

Health and safety debate

Supporters argue that changing clocks disrupts sleep, increases workplace injuries, and contributes to more road accidents. They contend that keeping clocks an hour ahead year-round would provide more evening daylight and boost economic activity during winter months. In 2013, the American Enterprise Institute estimated the "opportunity cost" of people taking the time to change their clocks at $2 billion, though FactCheck.org noted the argument is less relevant with digital clocks handling the switch automatically.

However, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine called in 2022 for making standard time permanent, citing evidence it aligns best with human circadian biology.

Your body is exposed to less morning light and more evening light, which can throw off your circadian rhythm.

Experts have long linked clock changes to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and traffic accidents due to lost sleep.

What permanent DST would look like

If daylight saving time becomes permanent, winter sunrises would arrive significantly later. In New York on January 15, the sun would rise at 8:17 a.m. and set at 5:53 p.m., according to AccuWeather. In Seattle, sunrise would come at 8:52 a.m. with sunset at 5:45 p.m. Minneapolis would see the sun rise at 8:47 a.m. and set at 5:57 p.m.

Critics note that the change would mean the sun rises an hour later on winter mornings, leaving more children traveling to school and commuters, construction workers, farmers, and others heading to work before daylight. In some places, the sun would not rise until nearly 9 a.m. or later at the height of winter.

Historical precedent

The US used year-round daylight saving time during World War Two and enacted it again in 1974 to reduce energy use during an energy crisis. That attempt became unpopular quickly, with children carrying flashlights on their way to school and commuters traveling in darkness. Florida called a special session to try to change the clocks back. A government study at the time concluded that the change had minimal impact on energy savings, and Congress repealed it later that year. Congress first passed the Standard Time Act in 1918 and established federal oversight of time zones, followed by the Uniform Time Act of 1966 that set the current framework for daylight saving time from late spring to early fall.