Standard time could become permanent in US under new bill, with some exceptions [View all]

Source: The Hill

07/13/26 11:14 AM ET


(NEXSTAR) – A new bill introduced in Congress could drastically change how we observe the twice-a-year practice of changing the clocks, even as a move to make daylight saving time permanent gains traction. For the last few years, there have been several attempts to make daylight saving time — the time we are currently observing — permanent. The Sunshine Protection Act passed through the Senate in 2022, but subsequent versions of the legislation haven’t been as lucky.

The House could vote on its version of the Sunshine Protection Act this week in a move that could end the twice-a-year changing of the clocks. The U.S. has long had a back-and-forth relationship with daylight saving time, with each attempt at making it permanent being rolled back a short time later.

But a bill introduced in the House last week could take a largely different approach. The bipartisan “Sunshine for Our Kids Act of 2026” was introduced by Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Penn.) and Pat Harrigan (R-NC). It calls for permanent standard time — the time we observe from November through March — in the U.S., with some exceptions.

While health experts agree that standard time is better for our health, most efforts in Congress and throughout the U.S. have focused on making daylight saving time permanent. Nearly 20 states have passed legislation to observe daylight saving time year-round, should Congress approve it. Only Hawaii and parts of Arizona observe standard time year-round.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5965517-standard-time-could-become-permanent-in-us-under-new-bill-with-some-exceptions/