When will daylight saving time end for good? It's complicated
Clocks will be falling back soon, raising the question when -- or if -- daylight saving time will come to a permanent end in the future.
AccuWeather’s Melissa Constanzer and Bernie Rayno spoke with Dr. Alecia Ross, with the Cleveland Clinic, about how you can prepare for the time change this weekend.
Daylight saving time will come to an end on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, and as millions of people turn back their clocks one hour, they may wonder if there will ever be a time when the clocks don't spring forward or fall back.
In recent years, legislation has been introduced at the state and federal level to eliminate the changing of the clocks and fully embrace either standard time or daylight saving time year-round. But where do the laws stand in 2024? It's not so simple.
The Sunshine Protection Act
In 2022, lawmakers were close to ending the changing of the clocks with the Sunshine Protection Act. The bill would have made daylight saving time the new, permanent standard across the United States, and it passed the Senate with unanimous consent. So, what happened?
As with all bills, Senate-approved legislation was sent to the House of Representatives for approval. If passed in the House, it would have been sent to the president's desk, where it could be signed into law.
However, instead of being passed by the House, the bill sat until the 117th Congress concluded, spelling the end of the bill and dashing the hopes of those who want to stop changing the clocks twice a year.
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. Sunrise will be an hour later in most places in the U.S. Sunday as Daylight Saving Time takes effect. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
The bill was then given new life when a new session of Congress began.
On March 1, 2023, the Sunshine Protection Act was reintroduced, this time to the House of Representatives during the start of the 118th Congress. However, it has yet to be brought to the floor for a vote.
With the current congress set to end on Jan. 3, 2025, it is unlikely that it will be swiftly passed and signed into law.
What are states doing to eliminate the time shift?
"State legislatures have considered over 700 bills and resolutions in recent years to establish year-round daylight saving time as soon as federal law allows it," the National Conference of State Legislatures stated on its website. "At least 30 states have considered or are considering legislation or resolutions related to daylight saving time in 2024."
This means states can pass their own laws regarding clock changes once the federal government approves legislation on the topic.
Ian Roders fastens the hands to a clock at Electric Time Company, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in Medfield, Mass. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, when clocks are set back one hour. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Why don't Arizona and Hawaii observe daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time started in the United States in the early 1900s, but it was the Uniform Time Act of 1966 that set the standard that is currently followed across the country. When it was passed, states had the option to opt out and remain in standard time year-round, but the majority of the country approved of the new act, according to LifeHacker.
Hawaii and Arizona are the only remaining states that stay in standard time year-round, although the Navajo Nation in Arizona does recognize the bi-annual time shift.
The debate between DST and standard time
While many people favor sticking to one time year-round, there is some debate about whether to stay in "standard time" or "daylight time."
According to a poll conducted by CBS News in 2022, 46% of Americans favor staying in daylight time year-round, while 33% prefer to stay in standard time. Meanwhile, 21% of those surveyed prefer the current switching of clocks.
The sunlight flares around the buildings in lower Manhattan as the sun rises, Monday, July 1, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
Staying in standard time would mean earlier sunrises year-round, which has benefits and drawbacks. The move would favor early risers, but in June and early July, sunrise in a place like New York City would occur before 4:30 a.m.
Conversely, staying in daylight time every month would mean later sunsets in the summer, which could help businesses like golf courses stay open later. However, in the winter months, sunrise in New York City would not be until after 8 a.m.
One thing is certain, the clocks will fall back once again on Nov. 3, as the country returns to standard time.
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