For decades, Americans in most states have lived under the “spring forward, fall back” clock rule.
Daylight Saving Time has been a bane of our existence, forcing us to move clocks forward an hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall.
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Now, however, Congress finally seems serious about ending the practice.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote next week on legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent, according to a notice posted Thursday.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Sunshine Protection Act in a 48-1 vote in May.
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The Senate unanimously passed similar legislation in March 2022, but the House never brought the measure to the floor amid opposition.
The bill the House will consider next week would allow states to opt out of permanent daylight saving time.
Most of the United States has observed daylight saving time—moving clocks forward one hour during the warmer months—since the 1960s.
Supporters argue that the twice-yearly clock changes contribute to sleep disruptions, increased workplace injuries, and more traffic accidents.
They also contend that extended evening daylight during the winter months would encourage greater consumer activity and boost the economy.
President Donald Trump has pushed for an end to the twice-annual clock-switching, saying in May that it was “time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production.”
If the House approves the measure, the Senate would have to decide whether to take it up again. The proposal faces opposition from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and several other lawmakers.
Cotton has argued that making daylight saving time permanent would lead to unusually late winter sunrises, forcing many children across the country to travel to school before daylight.
Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who has introduced the legislation repeatedly since 2018, reintroduced it again this year.
The proposal has drawn strong support in his home state, where supporters say longer evening daylight would provide more time for activities such as golf and youth sports.
Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said permanent daylight saving time is “better for safety and will boost New Jersey’s tourism industry. Let’s stop changing the clocks twice a year.”
During World War II, the federal government required year-round daylight saving time from February 1942 until September 1945 as part of the war effort.
Often referred to as “War Time,” the policy was intended to conserve fuel and electricity by extending daylight into the evening hours, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
After the war ended, Congress repealed the nationwide mandate, leaving states and local governments free to decide whether to observe daylight saving time.
The result was a patchwork of different schedules that created widespread confusion, particularly for railroads, airlines, broadcasters, and interstate businesses.
Some communities observed daylight saving time while neighboring towns did not, making travel and scheduling increasingly complicated.
To bring order to the system, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the legislation established standardized start and end dates for daylight saving time across the country while allowing states to opt out entirely if they remained on standard time year-round.
Arizona and Hawaii eventually chose this option, although the Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time across its reservation, including areas within Arizona.
Congress temporarily extended daylight saving time during the 1973-74 energy crisis after oil embargoes caused fuel shortages and soaring energy prices.
Lawmakers hoped longer evening daylight would reduce electricity consumption.
However, the experiment proved controversial after reports of children traveling to school in darkness during winter mornings, and Congress restored the traditional schedule after about a year.
Since then, Congress has modified the calendar several times.
The most significant modern change came with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which lengthened daylight saving time beginning in 2007. Under the current schedule, clocks move forward on the second Sunday in March and fall back on the first Sunday in November, extending daylight saving time by about one month.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
