The United States is one step closer to ending its twice-yearly clock changes after the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act on Saturday, which will make daylight saving time (DST) permanent throughout the U.S.
The bill passed the House by 308–117 in a vote that was unanimous among both sides of the aisle in favor of discontinuing the long-standing system of moving clocks forward in the spring and back in the fall. If it is approved in the Senate and signed into law, there would be no need for most Americans to change their clocks twice a year.
In the bill, daylight saving time would be the year-round standard. But states that currently do not adopt daylight saving time (such as Hawaii and most of Arizona) could remain on standard time.
A change in the clocks would also reduce sleep disruption due to the seasonal time change, supporters say. The time shift has been linked to temporary increases in workplace injuries, traffic accidents, and sleep-related health problems in some studies. Outdoor activities, retail and tourism businesses, and quality of life as a whole would be enhanced by more daylight in the evening hours, according to the argument of those who believe.
President Trump has repeatedly advocated for daylight saving time to be permanent, saying clocks have to be changed twice a year and that it is expensive. The White House has said he will sign the bill if it passes the Senate.
Although it has been widely supported in the House, the bill faces uncertainty in the Senate. Some lawmakers have objected that permanent daylight saving time would result in much later sunrises during winter months, so children could go to school and many workers could have their day start before sunrise. Permanent standard time, they say, would better align with human circadian rhythms and natural daylight patterns.
The debate over daylight saving time has gone on for years. A similar version of the Sunshine Protection Act passed the Senate unanimously in 2022 but failed to pass the House before the session ended. The House has voted again to give more momentum to the policy change that has attracted widespread public attention and bipartisan interest.
If the Senate votes for it, the United States would join a growing number of countries that have changed or eliminated seasonal clocks. The proposal would simplify daily life and settle the bitter debate over whether daylight saving time is worth the time and money to switch clocks twice a year.
But Americans will be watching closely as the Sunshine Protection Act moves to the Senate, where it’s likely to be passed, and what will happen to seasonal clock changes in the U.S. is going to be determined.
