Overview
- The House approved the Sunshine Protection Act by a 308–117 vote on July 14, 2026, sending a bill to make daylight saving time permanent to the Senate for final action.
- President Donald Trump repeatedly urged senators on Truth Social and in media appearances to pass the measure, arguing extra evening daylight will cut crime, reduce accidents and boost the economy.
- The Senate is in recess with no floor action scheduled before it returns in mid-September, and leaders say the bill would likely face procedural hurdles that could require 60 votes to advance.
- Major medical and sleep organizations favor making standard time permanent because morning light better aligns with human circadian rhythms, and several senators cite safety concerns about much later winter sunrises for children and commuters.
- Nearly two dozen states have prepassed laws to adopt year‑round daylight saving time if federal law allows it, and the 1973–74 federal experiment and mixed academic evidence on crime and health shape the competing policy choices now under debate.