Daylight saving time has representatives debating around the clock — literally

This November could be the last time Americans “fall back,” adjusting their clocks to gain an extra hour in the switch from daylight saving time to standard time.

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The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act Tuesday with a 308-117 vote, moving to make daylight saving time permanent year-round while allowing individual states to opt out in favor of permanent standard time if opt out legislation is passed in their state legislature.

The move to “lock the clock” is sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who said Tuesday that the act is a “commonsense, bipartisan solution to end the outdated practice of changing out clocks twice a year.”

The act has bipartisan support with co-sponsors from both parties, but opposition is just as bipartisan, with several reps claiming permanent daylight saving time will be damaging to public health and safety.

And some representatives haven’t clearly taken a side, instead voicing their opinion that the debate over time is a waste of time itself.

The debate: 2 acts with similar names and very different agendas

The Sunshine Protection Act faces competition from another piece of legislation with a similar-sounding name but an entirely different agenda: the Sunshine for Our Kids Act of 2026.

While the Sunshine Protection Act advocates to implement daylight saving time year-round, the Sunshine for Our Kids Act, introduced to the house on July 9 by Reps. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., and Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., moves to make standard time permanent over daylight saving time.

If daylight saving time were to become permanent under the Sunshine Protection Act, mornings would be darker in exchange for longer light in the evening.

Proponents for this shift argue that more daylight in the evening will reduce crime, boost the economy by allowing more people to shop after work and provide more time for outdoor recreation.

“I’ve advocated for this change for years because it’s clear that year-round daylight saving time is a popular, commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans,” Buchanan said in a statement Tuesday.

Advocates for standard time argue that morning sunlight is important for both public health and public safety.

Morning sunlight is linked to improved sleep regulation and circadian rhythm alignment, according to a study published by the journal BMC Public Health. Some research even shows that morning light can reduce blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, one of several national and local organizations that have thrown their support behind a permanent shift to standard time, released a statement celebrating the introduction of the Sunshine for Our Kids Act.

The statement said standard time has “a proven track record of supporting public health, improving student performance, and enhancing economic productivity” and that “the nation’s time policy should support healthy sleep, safer mornings, and better learning conditions for our students.”

Proponents of standard time also argue that more light in the morning will provide a safer commute for students and working adults.

Both acts have support from representatives in both parties.

Some representatives argue debating time is a waste of it

During the Monday House Rules Committee meeting that discussed the Sunshine Protection Act, Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., questioned the necessity of the debate.

“To be clear, I had a town hall in my district in Longmont a couple days ago and I can assure you Madam Chair, this is the one topic that did not come up,” Neguse said to Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chair of the House Committee on Rules.

“I got a lot of questions about healthcare prices. I got a lot of questions about corruption in Washington, D.C. All kinds of concerns about the Iran war. Nobody brought up daylight saving time,” Neguse continued.

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Neguse then quoted an online statement by Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, made earlier that day that characterized the vote on daylight saving time as “fiddling with the clocks while the country burns.”

“He’s not wrong,” Neguse added.

While opinions are split on whether daylight saving time or standard time is better, most Americans agree that they would prefer a world where one is permanent and they don’t find themselves changing their clocks every six months.

How the Utah delegation voted on the measure

Three of Utah’s House Reps. voted in favor of the Sunshine Protection Act Tuesday, with Blake Moore as the only rep to vote against it.

“Rep. Moore voted against this bill because of its impacts on the Utah tourism industry, especially outdoor recreation as they have voiced sincere concerns for several years of moving away from standard time in the winter months,” a spokesperson for Moore told the Deseret news.

“Furthermore, and more importantly, Moore has concerns about children’s safety when mornings are especially dark during most of the school year.”

Daylight saving time déjà vu

If either act were is signed into law, it won’t be the first time in American history that the annual season of “spring forward” and “fall back” has been halted.

The Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973 created a two-year trial period to use daylight saving time on a year-round basis, in hopes of conserving energy during an unexpected oil crisis.

The two-year trial period did not fully pass before the Senate agreed to revert back to the original trade-off between daylight saving time and standard time. Public support for the strictly daylight saving time measure plummeted following reports of safety concerns, including an incident where four Connecticut teenagers were struck by cars on their way to school the day after the change to daylight saving time went into effect.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton referred to this incident in a press release opposing the Sunshine Protection Act.

“If permanent Daylight Saving Time becomes the law of the land, it will again make winter a dark and dismal time for millions of Americans,” he wrote.

Many studies support the idea that standard time is more beneficial for public health, yet several recent polls show that the American people favor daylight saving time.

Almost 20 states have passed legislation that will make daylight saving time permanent, should the Sunshine Protection Act be enacted.

Along with the public majority, President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind the Sunshine Protection Act.

“I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law,” he said in a post on Truth Social in May, leaving little doubt that if the measure passes the Senate, it will receive his signature of approval.

“We are going with the far more popular alternative, Saving Daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter Day — And who can be against that,” President Trump said. “This is an easy one!”

The Sunshine Protection Act will move to the Senate for consideration.

The Sunshine for Our Kids Act was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on July 9.

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