Congress is one step closer to making daylight saving time permanent.
On July 14, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow states to enact daylight saving time year-round, a shift from the existing practice of changing clocks twice a year.
If the legislation is passed by the Senate and signed into law, it would largely stop the practice of moving clocks an hour forward in the spring and an hour back in the fall.
Introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 passed the House 308-117 after years of failed efforts in Congress to reform daylight saving time.
Here's what to know about the latest push to make daylight saving time permanent.
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Some states, like Arizona, don't change their clocks for daylight saving time
What is it?
Daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks forward an hour from March until November in an effort to gain more sunlight during the summer months.
According to the Library of Congress, it was first enacted in 1918 as a fuel cost-saving measure during World War I.
Daylight saving time became federal law under the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
Under the law, some states and U.S. territories can opt to exempt themselves. Daylight saving time is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and most of Arizona, according to the Department of Transportation.
The U.S. used year-round daylight saving time during World War II and enacted it again in 1974 to reduce energy use, Reuters reported, but it proved deeply unpopular and Congress repealed it later that year.
What’s the bill’s status?
The permanent daylight saving time bill still has a ways to go before it can become law.
Next, it heads to the Senate, where its fate remains uncertain. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said it was not clear whether the bill could garner the 60 votes needed for passage in the chamber, Reuters reported July 15.
If the legislation clears Congress' upper chamber, it will go to President Donald Trump's desk for him to sign.
Trump in the past expressed support for permanent daylight saving time, so it appears likely that, if it is passed by the Senate, he would sign it into law.
In a May social media post, he called daylight saving time a "ridiculous, twice yearly production."
"I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. It’s time that people can stop worrying about the 'Clock,'" he wrote.
Studies show that DST can boost the economy and save energy, but researchers also warn it all comes at a cost.
What would happen?
If permanent daylight saving time becomes law, it would do away with a "spring forward" in March and a "fall back" in November,
Meaning, the move would prompt later sunrises and sunsets during a significant portion of the year.
Supporters, like Buchanan, argue that permanent daylight saving time would have positive health effects.
Bill backers say changing the clocks disrupts sleep, increases workplace injuries and contributes to more road accidents, Reuters reported. They argue keeping clocks an hour ahead year-round would provide more evening daylight and boost economic activity during the winter months.
Critics — the bill faces opposition from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and others — note the change would mean the sun rises an hour later on winter mornings, leaving more children traveling to school and commuters, construction workers, farmers and others heading to work before daylight, Reuters reported.
In some places, the sun would not rise until almost 9 a.m. or later at the height of winter. The group Airlines for America said it would have major implications for travelers.
