Bill to make daylight saving time permanent is one step closer

Editor's note: Latest on the House vote to make daylight saving time permanent.

Daylight saving time is one step closer to becoming permanent.

On Monday, in a 6-4 vote, the House Rules Committee resolved the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, which would allow states to enact daylight saving time year-round with an option to opt out. Every spring, Americans set their clocks forward one hour to preserve more evening daylight before "falling back" one hour in November.

"Americans are overwhelmingly supportive of this policy and want to end the practice of ‘springing forward’ and ‘falling back,'" Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, said during the Monday, July 13, meeting. "Locking the clock all year long would have positive impacts on sleep schedules, energy conservation, motor vehicle safety and our economy."

Introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 has the backing of President Donald Trump, who recently called seasonal clock changes a "ridiculous, twice-yearly production." A similar proposal previously sailed through the Senate in 2022 but never became law.

Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina, during opening remarks, said Trump "has made clear his support for this legislation, and he remains adamant that Congress pass it and send it directly to his desk to end."

Buchanan, in a statement on May 20, said: "Floridians and Americans across the country are tired of the biannual time change, and the evidence is clear that permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity."

"Ending the clock change is a commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans," Buchanan added.

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pennsylvania, suggested making standard time permanent nationwide, arguing that permanent daylight saving time would pose significant health and safety risks, especially for children, by leaving more Americans in darkness during morning hours. However, the amendment was quickly rejected.

What happens next?

Now that the Rules Committee has advanced the bill, it will move to the full House floor for general debate, potential amendments and a final chamber-wide vote. If passed by the House, the bill would require Senate approval and Trump's signature to become law.

What is daylight saving time?

Daylight saving time is the period between March and November when most Americans set their clocks ahead by one hour to extend daylight later into the evening.

Clocks move forward one hour each spring, often referred to as "springing forward," and return to standard time each fall when Americans "fall back." The switch is designed to provide more evening daylight during the warmer months and more morning daylight during the winter.

Do all states observe daylight saving time?

Not all states observe daylight saving time. Currently, daylight saving time is not observed in the following states and territories:

• Hawaii
• Arizona (except for the Navajo Nation)
• American Samoa
• Guam
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Puerto Rico
• The U.S. Virgin Islands

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.