The Senate unanimously passed the legislation in March 2022
On Friday, Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, renewed their bipartisan efforts to pass legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.
Known as S. 582 or the Sunshine Protection Act, this legislation aims to eliminate the biannual time change and make daylight saving time a permanent fixture, effectively adding an extra hour to the day. The Senate unanimously approved the bill in March 2022, but progress has stalled.
If passed, the bill would allow states like Arizona and Hawaii, which currently do not observe daylight saving time, to continue operating on standard time. Additionally, territories such as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands would also have the option to remain on standard time.
“The outdated practice of changing our clocks twice a year isn’t just inconvenient—it also has tangible effects on our economy, energy usage, and health,” stated Senator Markey in a released statement. “We know the sun will rise tomorrow, so let’s keep it shining for an extra hour by making Daylight Saving Time permanent and passing the Sunshine Protection Act. You can count on seeing the sun tomorrow, and plenty of smiles to go with it.”
“We’re ‘springing forward’ but should never have ‘fallen back.’ My Sunshine Protection Act would put an end to this nonsensical practice of switching our clocks back and forth,” Rubio stated in the announcement.
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Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott also echoed the call to “lock the clock,” urging Congress to advance the legislation.
“Floridians are tired of adjusting their clocks because we all desire more sunlight,” stated Senator Scott in a released statement. “It’s high time for Congress to take action, and I’m honored to be spearheading the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act alongside Senator Rubio to accomplish this. During my tenure as Governor of Florida, I signed a similar bill into state law. Now it’s Washington’s turn, and we should complete the task by passing this commendable bill today.”
In a parallel effort, Representative Vern Buchanan, a Republican from Florida, introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives in March 2023. Known as H.R. 1279, or the Sunshine Protection Act, this bill aims to make daylight saving time permanent.
President Joe Biden has not yet expressed his position on the issue, while former President Donald Trump tweeted his support for making daylight saving time permanent back in 2019.
“Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!” Trump wrote on Twitter at the time, now referred to as X.
Since 2015, approximately 30 states have introduced legislation aimed at permanently ending the practice of changing clocks twice a year, as reported by Reuters. Some states have also proposed this change on the condition that neighboring states do the same.
Daylight saving time has been observed in nearly all of the United States since the 1960s, following an initial trial period in 1918.
During World War II, year-round daylight saving time was implemented as a measure to conserve fuel. It was later adopted once again in 1973 for the same purpose.
Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 10th.