WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal efforts to stop the twice-annual clock change have cleared a major hurdle. The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted overwhelmingly (48-1) to advance the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 139), moving the nation closer to locking the clock.
To help speed up its path to the House floor, lawmakers attached the proposal directly to a larger transportation package known as the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act (H.R. 7389). If signed into law, the legislation would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, eliminating the practice of “falling back” every autumn.
While the push for permanent daylight saving time has broad bipartisan support, it faces a unique competing proposal. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) introduced the Daylight Act of 2026 (H.R. 7378). Rather than choosing between standard time and daylight saving time, Steube’s bill proposes a compromise: shift the nation’s clocks forward by just 30 minutes and permanently lock them there.
The battle over how to adjust the nation’s time comes down to contrasting benefits:
Arguments for Permanent Daylight Saving Time: Proponents point to data showing a boost in afternoon economic activity, reduced evening crime rates, and fewer traffic accidents.
Arguments Against: Public health and sleep experts strongly push back, warning that permanent daylight saving time cuts off crucial morning sunlight, which can severely disrupt biological sleep schedules.
To become law, the legislation must pass the full House, clear the Senate, and receive the President’s signature. Similar legislative pushes have repeatedly stalled in past congressional sessions.
While federal law currently stops states from independently switching to permanent daylight saving time, local lawmakers are getting impatient. At least 16 states have introduced bills this year to immediately adopt the changes the moment the federal government gives them the green light.
