The House is scheduled to vote next week on a bill that would lock the nation into daylight saving time year-round, reigniting a long-running debate over whether to scrap the biannual clock shifts. The measure, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee in May by a wide margin, 48-1, and has the backing of President Trump.
Daylight saving time has been observed across most of the United States since the 1960s, with clocks springing forward an hour each spring and falling back each autumn. Only Arizona and Hawaii currently opt out of the practice, leaving the rest of the country to adjust twice a year.
Supporters argue the change would eliminate the disruptions caused by shifting clocks, which they say lead to sleep loss, reduced productivity, and even health risks. President Trump has been vocal in his support, calling the current system a wasteful and unnecessary burden. In a social media post after the committee vote, he wrote, “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.”
The legislation, introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), has particular resonance in Florida, where lawmakers have long pushed for permanent daylight saving time to extend evening daylight. Backers there argue it could give tourism and outdoor recreation a boost, a view shared by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Pallone has endorsed the bill, saying it would improve safety and help New Jersey’s tourism industry.
But the push faces headwinds in the Senate. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has warned that permanent daylight saving time would push winter sunrises to “an absurdly late hour,” forcing children to walk to school in darkness or schools to delay start times. The Senate unanimously passed a similar measure in 2022, only to see it stall in the House. This time, the House is acting first, but the outcome in the upper chamber remains uncertain.
The United States has experimented with year-round daylight saving time before. It was observed during World War II as a wartime measure, and President Nixon briefly enacted it in response to the 1973 oil crisis. Those episodes were short-lived, but advocates hope the current push will stick.
The bill would allow states to opt out, preserving flexibility for those that prefer standard time. With Trump’s backing and bipartisan committee support, the House vote next week marks a critical juncture for the decades-old effort to stop changing the clocks.
