Nineteen states have enacted legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, but their laws remain dormant because federal law does not currently permit year-round daylight saving time. The Sunshine Protection Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in July by a bipartisan 308-117 vote, is now awaiting action in the Senate, where its future remains uncertain .
The bill would end the twice-yearly clock changes observed by most Americans and establish daylight saving time as the national standard. States would retain the ability to opt out and remain on standard time year-round. Without Senate passage, Americans are still scheduled to turn their clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 1 .
The 19 States Waiting on Congress
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Florida became the first state to approve year-round daylight saving time legislation in 2018. Since then, 18 additional states have followed suit: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming .
Several of these states attached conditions to their legislation. Delaware stipulated that Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania must also make daylight saving time permanent before its law takes effect. None of those states have done so, though bills in New Jersey and Pennsylvania remain active.
Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, and Washington included similar requirements tied to neighboring states . Oregon enacted legislation that excludes Malheur County and awaits action by California. California voters authorized legislators to lock the clocks in 2018, but the state has not acted .
Senate Hurdles and Opposition
The Senate returned from its summer recess on September 14, but no vote on the Sunshine Protection Act has been scheduled. The chamber is scheduled to depart again on October 5 and remain out of session through November 6, after the November 1 clock change .
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has acknowledged significant disagreement among senators, noting there are members “some for, some against” . Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton has argued that permanent daylight saving time would push winter sunrises to an “absurdly late hour” and deprive Americans of morning sunlight important for safety and well-being .
Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia has raised concerns about children traveling to school in darkness .
Senator Rick Scott of Florida, the leading Senate advocate for the bill, has urged Thune to bring it to the floor. “I hope Leader Thune will bring it to the floor,” Scott said in July. “I believe it will pass” .
Presidential Pressure
The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2024
President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged the Senate to act. In an August 15 post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “The Senate must vote on the NO MORE CHANGING THE CLOCKS ACT as soon as possible.
More sun later in the day is better (including for fighting crime!), but, even more importantly, NO MORE RIDICULOUSLY CHANGING CLOCKS AND WATCHES TWICE YEARLY, with all of the disruption and chaos it causes. FINALLY, GET IT DONE!” .
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also urged lawmakers to act before the federal surface transportation law expires on September 30 .
What Happens Next
For the 19 states’ laws to take effect, the Senate must pass the Sunshine Protection Act and President Trump must sign it. The Senate’s narrow window before its next recess ends on October 5 gives lawmakers only a few weeks of scheduled legislative time to act before the November 1 clock change.
If Congress does not act, Americans will continue under the current system, and the states’ permanent daylight saving time laws will remain dormant .
