The House of Representatives passed a bill on July 14 that would eliminate the semi-annual changing of the clocks and make daylight saving time permanent.
The Sunshine Protection Act passed in a 308-117 vote, with the overwhelming majority of congresspeople voting to keep America’s spring and summer hours all year round.
States that already use standard time all year round, which as of July 15 are Hawaii and parts of Arizona, would be exempt from the new law.
The bill was introduced by GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida, who said the semi-annual clock changes disrupt schedules for “no good reason.”
The bill also found bipartisan support in Congress. Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone said simply, “I don’t really know anybody who wants to change the clock anymore.”
The winter shift to standard time has long frustrated Americans who have complained about early sunsets. Proponents of the bill claim that a permanent shift to daylight saving time will have positive impacts on sleep and people’s health and allow Americans to have more daylight hours in the evening throughout the year.
Its detractors have argued that dark morning hours could have negative effects on health and safety. They point to the early ’70s when America briefly experimented with making daylight saving time permanent for two years but reversed course after it proved unpopular. Back then, reporting suggested that the dark winter mornings led to increased traffic accidents for commuters.
“Permanent daylight savings time was repealed within a year because it didn’t work,” said Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon on July 13. “We all enjoy the extra hour or so of sunlight in the summer, but when people are considering this, they need to consider the extra hours of darkness in the winter.”Â
The bill now heads to the Senate, where its popularity is murkier. The Senate passed a similar measure in 2022, but back then, couldn’t secure a House vote. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who led the permanent DST effort four years ago, urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to bring the bill to the Senate “as soon as possible.”
President Donald Trump seems excited about the bill — a stark difference from the recent bipartisan housing bill that he refused to sign in protest of the Senate not passing the SAVE America Act.
On July 15, Trump posted news of the bill’s passing to Truth Social, describing it as “great news for America!”
