House Panel Advances Permanent Daylight Saving Time Bill

Americans who dread resetting clocks twice a year now see a concrete step toward ending the ritual. The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 48-1 on May 22 to fold the Sunshine Protection Act into a five-year transportation measure, locking clocks on daylight saving time year-round if the full House and Senate agree.

The change would extend evening light through winter but push sunrise later in northern states. Supporters cite fewer car crashes, reduced workplace injuries, and lower costs for cities that adjust public clocks. Representative Vern Buchanan, the Florida Republican who has filed the measure since 2018, noted that the bill lets states opt out. President Trump endorsed the vote on Truth Social, writing that the twice-yearly shift wastes “hundreds of millions of dollars” and that permanent daylight saving time offers “a longer, brighter day.”

Opponents focus on winter mornings. Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, warned that children in parts of the country would commute to school before sunrise. A 2022 Senate version passed unanimously yet stalled in the House. Public polls show most Americans want to stop changing clocks, with a slim majority favoring permanent daylight saving time over permanent standard time. Health researchers have noted that permanent standard time aligns better with human circadian rhythms, though that option receives less legislative attention.

The bill still requires full House passage and Senate action before reaching the president. Nineteen states have already passed laws to adopt year-round daylight saving time if Congress clears the way. Earlier experiments with permanent daylight saving time, including 1974, ended after parents objected to dark winter mornings and traffic risks.