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Sunshine Protection Act Moves to Senate as Outcome Hinges on 60‑Vote Threshold

Senate deliberation will determine whether a bill that would stop the twice‑annual clock change becomes law and shifts winter sunrises later nationwide.

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Sunlight falls on the U.S. Capitol as the sun sets, following a vote on the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, and states with areas exempt from daylight saving time may choose the standard time for those areas, in Washington, D.C., on July 13, 2026.
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The US Capitol, pictured during sunset on June 29.

Overview

  • The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act 308–117, a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, with the vote concluding the House stage on July 14.
  • President Trump urged senators to approve the measure at a July 27 rally, renewing White House pressure for the Senate to send the bill to his desk.
  • Senate leaders say the bill faces procedural hurdles because supporters may lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster, and Sen. Tom Cotton has signaled he could block it.
  • Orthodox Jewish groups have organized public opposition, saying later winter sunrises would delay communal morning prayers and complicate work and school schedules.
  • Analyses show uneven effects across states: many southern states would gain more evening daylight and economic activity while northern states would face much darker winter mornings, and 19 states already passed laws readying them to adopt year‑round DST if federal law allows it.