Congress Advances Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
The House passed legislation to keep daylight saving time year-round, but the measure still requires Senate approval and the president’s signature.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent, eliminating the twice-yearly clock changes. Under the proposal, clocks would remain on the forward-shift schedule throughout the year, ending the autumn rollback to standard time.
Support for the change has grown among medical and sleep-science groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which argue that a consistent schedule benefits health and daily rhythms. A recent AP-NORC poll found that only 12% of adults favor the biannual shift, while nearly half oppose it.
The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration, and President Donald Trump has indicated support for the measure.
Historical attempts to adopt permanent daylight saving time have faced public resistance. In 1973, Congress enacted a trial that lasted until October 1975 after complaints that children were traveling to school in darkness. Anthropologist Kevin Birth, who experienced the 1970s shift as a student in Syracuse, recalled the early-morning darkness.
Experts note that a nationwide adoption would likely require adjustments to existing time-zone boundaries, as the current four zones span large geographic areas with varying sunrise times.
"If the U.S. decides to try it again, more has to change than just the clocks. The time zones across the country would need to be adapted as well," said Kevin Birth.
The bill’s future depends on Senate action and eventual presidential approval.