The House has passed the Sunshine Protection Act, moving the U.S. closer to permanent daylight saving time. If the Senate follows suit and President Trump signs the bill, the nation would stop falling back in November, locking clocks forward year-round. But that change would come with a stark trade-off: winter sunrises that push well past 8 a.m. for much of the country.
Under the current system, standard time from November to March brings earlier sunrises and sunsets. Permanent DST would shift both later. While sunsets after 5 p.m. would be a welcome improvement for many—especially those currently seeing the sun dip below the horizon during the 4 p.m. hour—the late sunrises are drawing criticism.
In Grand Rapids, Michigan, for example, the sun would rise after 8 a.m. for more than 140 winter days, with 55 of those occurring after 9 a.m. The latest sunrise there would be 9:14 a.m. Indianapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, would also see more than 140 days of post-8 a.m. sunrises. In Juneau, Alaska, the sun wouldn't rise until after 11 a.m. for part of the winter.
Not every city would experience such extreme delays. In Las Vegas, the latest winter sunrise under permanent DST would be 7:52 a.m.; in Los Angeles, 7:59 a.m. Nashville and New Orleans would never see a sunrise after 8 a.m., with latest sunrises at 7:58 a.m. and 7:57 a.m., respectively. The variation highlights how latitude and geography would shape the impact of the flawed approach to permanent DST.
The trade-off for later sunrises is later sunsets. In Grand Rapids, the earliest sunset under permanent DST would be 6:08 p.m., compared to 5:08 p.m. currently. Across much of the Lower 48, sunsets would occur no sooner than 6:30 p.m., giving residents more evening daylight during the darkest months.
Opponents of the shift argue that permanent standard time would be healthier, aligning better with natural circadian rhythms. Health experts have warned that year-round DST could disrupt sleep patterns and have negative health effects. The change could also affect religious practices—some faiths require prayers tied to sunrise—and create temporary disruptions for air travel as schedules adjust.
The Senate has not yet taken up the Sunshine Protection Act, and previous efforts to fast-track the bill have stalled. Meanwhile, Congress is considering multiple alternatives: two House bills that would let states opt into permanent DST, a bill to make half-daylight saving time permanent, and a newly introduced bill to lock the nation into permanent standard time, with exceptions.
For now, the fate of the nation's clocks remains uncertain. But the data makes one thing clear: if permanent DST becomes law, millions of Americans will be waking up in the dark well into the morning hours.
