BY MIRABEL ODETA
The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent across most of the country, bringing the long-running practice of changing clocks twice each year one step closer to becoming history. The bill passed the House in a decisive 308-117 vote on Tuesday and now moves to the Senate for consideration.
If the proposal ultimately becomes law, Americans in most states would no longer set their clocks back by one hour each November. Instead, daylight saving time would remain in effect throughout the entire year, providing later sunsets during the winter months. States that already do not observe daylight saving time, such as Hawaii and most of Arizona, would continue to follow their current practices, while other states could choose to adopt permanent standard time if permitted under federal law.
Supporters of the legislation argue that ending the twice-yearly clock changes would improve public health, increase safety, and eliminate the inconvenience experienced by millions of Americans every spring and fall. Medical experts have long warned that the shift in time can disrupt sleep schedules, affect mental and physical health, reduce workplace productivity, and contribute to an increase in traffic accidents and workplace injuries during the days immediately following the time change.
Backers of permanent daylight saving time also believe that having an extra hour of evening daylight throughout the year would encourage more outdoor activities, increase consumer spending, and benefit businesses such as restaurants, retailers, entertainment venues, and recreational facilities. Longer daylight in the evening is also expected to provide more opportunities for exercise and family activities after work or school.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed support for eliminating the twice-yearly clock changes. Following Tuesday’s House vote, the White House reiterated its backing of the measure, saying that ending seasonal time changes would save Americans both time and money while eliminating the inconvenience associated with adjusting clocks twice each year. Administration officials also argued that the move could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic value annually by reducing disruptions to businesses and daily routines.
Despite the broad bipartisan support in the House, the proposal continues to face opposition from several lawmakers in the Senate. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas remains one of the most prominent critics, arguing that permanent daylight saving time would create extremely late winter sunrises in many parts of the country. Under the proposal, some communities could experience sunrise times approaching or even exceeding 9 a.m. during the shortest days of winter.
Opponents say darker mornings could create safety concerns for children traveling to school, as well as for commuters, construction workers, farmers, emergency personnel, and others who begin their workdays before sunrise. Critics also argue that permanent standard time, rather than permanent daylight saving time, would better align with the body’s natural circadian rhythm and improve overall health.
Earlier this week, House lawmakers rejected an alternative proposal that would have made standard time permanent instead of daylight saving time. That option has gained support from some sleep researchers who argue that standard time is more consistent with natural daylight patterns and may offer greater long-term health benefits.
The aviation industry has also expressed concerns about the legislation. Airlines for America, which represents major U.S. airlines, warned that a permanent change would require extensive coordination across domestic and international aviation systems. The organization said any transition would need a carefully planned implementation schedule to minimize disruptions involving flight schedules, aircraft positioning, airline crews, and connections with countries that continue to observe seasonal clock changes.
The latest vote follows strong bipartisan support in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which approved the Sunshine Protection Act by a 48-1 margin in May. A similar proposal also passed the U.S. Senate unanimously in March 2022, but it never advanced through the House, preventing it from becoming law at that time.
The debate over daylight saving time has continued for decades. The United States first adopted year-round daylight saving time during World War II as an energy-saving measure. Congress briefly reinstated permanent daylight saving time during the 1973 energy crisis in an effort to reduce electricity consumption. However, the policy quickly became unpopular because of extremely dark winter mornings, leading lawmakers to repeal it later that same year.
Today, daylight saving time is observed across most of the United States except for Hawaii and the majority of Arizona, which remain on standard time throughout the year. Americans currently move their clocks forward by one hour each March and back by one hour each November.
Representative Frank Pallone, one of the lawmakers supporting the bill, argued that the country has changed significantly since earlier debates over daylight saving time. He noted that modern commuting patterns, remote work, and transportation habits have evolved, while far fewer children now walk to school compared with previous decades. According to Pallone, the time has come to permanently eliminate the practice of “springing forward” and “falling back.”
The legislation now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers will determine whether the United States will finally end the decades-old tradition of changing clocks twice every year or continue the current system that has remained largely unchanged since the 1960s.
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