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3h ago

House Passes Sunshine Protection Act to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

The measure now goes to the Senate where lawmakers must weigh health and safety concerns before it can become law.

A view of the dome of the U.S. Capitol building, during a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on a stopgap spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown that would otherwise begin October 1, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. U.S., September 19, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura
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Overview

  • The U.S. House approved the Sunshine Protection Act in a 308–117 vote on Tuesday, July 14, sending the bill to the Senate with public support from President Donald Trump.
  • If enacted the law would keep clocks on the current March-to-November time year-round and eliminate the twice‑yearly clock changes unless the Senate or states act otherwise.
  • Nineteen states already have laws that would switch them to year‑round daylight saving time if Congress permits that change, but states would need to pass opt‑out laws before a federal change takes effect.
  • Major medical groups and sleep scientists oppose permanent daylight saving time because it shifts winter sunrises later and can disrupt circadian rhythms, a point stressed by opponents including Sen. Tom Cotton who raised child safety and commuter concerns.
  • The bill still faces an uncertain path: the Senate must pass the same text or reconcile differences and the president must sign it before the November 1, 2026 clock change could be canceled, and the law recalls the U.S. experiment with year‑round DST in 1974 that was quickly repealed after public backlash.