Could the US stop changing clocks? What permanent daylight saving time means
The Sunshine Protection Act would make daylight saving time permanent across most of the U.S., but it still needs approval from the full House and Senate.
AccuWeather’s Ariella Scalese explains why some parts of the world get nonstop daylight during summer and what causes the midnight sun.
A long-running push to end the twice-a-year clock change took a step forward in Congress this week, as the House Rules Committee advanced the Sunshine Protection Act, setting up a possible vote by the full House.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., would make daylight saving time permanent across most of the United States, leading to later sunrises and sunsets throughout the year. The House Rules Committee approved the rule to advance the bill in a vote on Monday. The measure would still need approval from the full House and the Senate before heading to the president’s desk.
Daylight saving time is currently observed by most of the U.S. from March into November. In 2026, clocks sprang forward on March 8. Clocks are scheduled to fall back on Nov. 1, when most of the country returns to standard time.
Multiple versions of the Sunshine Protection Act have been introduced by lawmakers since 2018, but none have been signed into law.
What time would sunrise, sunset be if DST becomes permanent?
Sunrise and sunset times on Jan. 15, 2027 with permanent daylight saving time.
If the Sunshine Protection Act became law and a state chose to remain on daylight saving time, winter mornings would be darker, with sunrises pushed an hour later. On Jan. 15, sunrise and sunset times would look something like this:
In Miami, the sun would rise at 8:09 a.m. and set at 6:51 p.m. In Boston, sunrise would happen at 8:10 a.m., with sunset at 5:36 p.m. Farther west, Kansas City would see the sun rise at 8:35 a.m. and set at 6:19 p.m. In Billings, Montana, sunrise would occur at 8:51 a.m., with sunset at 5:56 p.m. In Los Angeles, sunrise would happen just before 8 a.m. and sunset shortly after 6 p.m. PT.
New daylight saving time bill takes different approach to clock changes
Meanwhile, another bill introduced in July takes a different approach to the time change.
The Sunshine for Our Kids Act of 2026, introduced by Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., and Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., would make standard time permanent across the U.S. by default, while allowing states to choose daylight saving time if they pass their own laws.
That would mark a different approach from the Sunshine Protection Act, a separate proposal that would make daylight saving time permanent.
The Sunshine for Our Kids Act would repeal the daylight saving time section of the Uniform Time Act of 1966. If enacted, the change would take effect on the first Sunday in November after the bill becomes law, according to the bill text.
The sun rises above the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol building in the background Saturday morning, March 13, 2021 in Washington. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
Under the proposal, states in a single time zone could pass laws to advance their clocks by one hour, either year-round or for part of the year. States that span multiple time zones would be able to make that change statewide or by time-zone region.
Supporters say the bill would end the twice-a-year clock change while better aligning daily schedules with morning light.
What states, territories currently observe the time change?
The debate over daylight saving time has played out repeatedly in Congress and state legislatures. Hawaii and most of Arizona already stay on standard time year-round, while the Navajo Nation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, does observe daylight saving time. U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands also do not observe daylight saving time.
Nearly 20 states have passed legislation to observe daylight saving time year-round if Congress allows it. Current federal law allows states to opt out of daylight saving time and remain on standard time, but states cannot independently adopt permanent daylight saving time.
No national change has become law yet. Unless Congress passes a bill and it is signed into law, Americans in most states should still plan to turn their clocks back one hour on Nov. 1, 2026.
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