The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that could make daylight saving time permanent and end the practice of changing clocks twice a year.
Lawmakers approved the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14 by a vote of 308 to 117. The bill received support from Republicans and Democrats. It now goes to the Senate, where its future is less certain.
The vote does not change the clocks yet. Daylight saving time remains scheduled to end on November 1, 2026. Americans will still set their clocks back unless the Senate passes the legislation and President Donald Trump signs it before then.
Key Insights
- The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act by 308 votes to 117.
- The bill would end the twice-yearly clock change.
- States could choose permanent standard time instead.
- The bill has not become law.
- The Senate must approve the legislation before it reaches President Trump.
No More Stress From Losing an Hour of Sleep, But Only if Senate Accepts it
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Most Americans move their clocks forward by one hour in March. They move them back again in November. The Sunshine Protection Act would remove that seasonal switch.
States observing permanent daylight saving time would keep the current summer schedule throughout winter. Sunsets would occur one hour later under the clock. Sunrises would also occur one hour later.
The legislation would not create additional sunlight. It would change how daylight is placed within the working day.
| Current System | Permanent Daylight Saving Time |
|---|---|
| Clocks move forward in March | No spring clock change |
| Clocks move back in November | No fall clock change |
| Earlier winter sunrises | Later winter sunrises |
| Earlier winter sunsets | Later winter sunsets |
| Two time changes each year | One time used throughout the year |
The current schedule is controlled by federal law. Daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
The House vote marks the largest movement on the issue since the Senate passed a similar proposal in 2022.
Daylight Saving Time Has Not Become Permanent Yet
The House vote is only one part of the federal process. The Senate must pass the same bill before it can reach the president.
Senate approval is not guaranteed. Some senators support ending the clock change but disagree over which time should become permanent.
One group favors permanent daylight saving time because it provides more evening light. Another group favors permanent standard time because it provides more morning light.
President Trump has repeatedly supported ending the seasonal clock changes. The White House also urged House members to support the bill. Trump is expected to sign the measure if it clears the Senate.
We previously reported on the Trump-backed initiative for permanent daylight saving time. The House vote moves that proposal beyond public statements and into the final stages of the federal legislative process.
Could the November 2026 Clock Change Be Canceled?
Daylight saving time is currently scheduled to end at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Clocks would move back from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m.
The November change could be canceled if the Senate approves the House bill and Trump signs it soon enough for the new rule to take effect.
No cancellation has been announced. Phones, calendars, transportation systems and business schedules should continue to use the existing November date until federal officials confirm a change.
The Sunshine Protection Act now faces the Senate, where lawmakers will have to decide if permanent daylight saving time has enough support for a vote.
Which States Would Be Affected?
Most states currently observe daylight saving time. Hawaii and most of Arizona remain on standard time throughout the year.
The Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time, including its territory within Arizona. Several U.S. territories also remain on standard time. They include Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The House legislation would allow states to avoid permanent daylight saving time by choosing permanent standard time. Existing exemptions in Hawaii and most of Arizona could therefore remain.
Nearly 20 states have already approved measures supporting permanent daylight saving time. Those state laws could not take full effect because current federal law does not allow states to select year-round daylight saving time on their own.
It Would Look Different by Location
The effect would not be equal in every state. Communities on the western edge of a time zone would experience the latest winter sunrises.
Some areas could remain dark until after 9 a.m. during the shortest days of winter. Children could travel to school before sunrise. Morning commuters and outdoor workers would also begin their day in darkness.
Places on the eastern edge of a time zone would see earlier sunrises than western communities using the same clock.
Why Supporters Want Permanent Daylight Saving Time?
Supporters want to end the disruption caused by moving clocks twice a year. They argue that a stable time would make schedules easier for families, schools, businesses and transportation systems.
Permanent daylight saving time would provide more evening light during winter. Supporters say that could give people more time for exercise, shopping, dining and outdoor activities after work.
Tourism and hospitality businesses have also supported later sunsets. More daylight during the early evening can extend the time people spend in commercial districts and recreational areas.
Representative Vern Buchanan of Florida sponsored the bill. Other supporters argued that Americans are tired of changing clocks every March and November.
The House approved the bill with broad support, although lawmakers from both parties voted against it.
Health Experts Prefer Permanent Standard Time
Many sleep specialists agree that the seasonal clock change should end. They do not agree that daylight saving time should become permanent.
Morning light helps regulate the body clock. Permanent standard time places sunrise closer to the biological schedule followed by most people.
Permanent daylight saving time would delay morning light during winter. Sleep researchers warn that darker mornings can make waking more difficult and may affect sleep quality, alertness and school performance.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine supports ending seasonal clock changes but favors permanent standard time. Its position is based on the relationship between morning light and the human circadian rhythm.
Darker Mornings Are the Main Objection
Opponents focused on school travel and morning road safety during the House debate. Children in some northern and western communities could wait for buses in darkness for a larger part of winter.
Farm groups have also raised concerns. Farm work follows daylight more closely than office schedules. A later sunrise could force workers to choose between starting in darkness and beginning work later by the clock.
The United States Tried Permanent This Before
Congress introduced year-round daylight saving time in January 1974 during an energy crisis. Public support fell after Americans experienced dark winter mornings.
Reports of children traveling to school before sunrise became a major political problem. Congress shortened the experiment and restored the seasonal system.
Supporters of the new bill say modern schedules, technology and public preferences are different. Opponents argue that winter sunrise times have not changed and that the same concerns remain.
Most Americans Want the Clock Changes to End
Public dissatisfaction with the current system is clear. An AP-NORC survey found that only 12% of Americans supported changing clocks twice a year.
Opinion becomes more divided when people must choose the replacement. Permanent daylight saving time has more support than permanent standard time, but both options have committed supporters.
The disagreement is no longer mainly about ending the clock change. The central question is which hour should remain after the switching stops.
The Sunshine Protection Act now moves to the Senate. Senate leaders must decide if and when to bring it to a vote.
A Senate amendment could send the bill back to the House. Passage of the same text would allow it to go directly to Trump for his signature.
Americans should not change travel plans, work schedules or digital calendar settings yet. Daylight saving time remains governed by the existing schedule until the full federal process is complete.
The House has moved the United States closer to ending the clock change. The Senate will decide if daylight saving time becomes permanent or if Americans turn their clocks back again on November 1.
