Two bills introduced in Congress this month hope to make daylight saving time, which will deprive Americans of an hour of sleep this Sunday, permanent for the country or for states who opt in.
Key Facts
Clocks will move forward one hour this Sunday at 2 a.m., transitioning from standard time, which begins in November, to daylight saving time, which is associated with later sunsets.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl.) introduced a Senate bill on March 1 that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide and eliminate the November time change.
Rubio introduced a similar bill, dubbed the Sunshine Protection Act, in 2021 that passed in the Senate last March before dying in the House in December.
A House bill introduced by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Al.) on March 8 would allow states to switch to permanent daylight saving time without congressional approval, which the Uniform Time Act requires.
Scientists have long associated the switch to daylight saving time with health problems including circadian rhythm disruptions, higher risk for obesity, diabetes, high-blood pressure and increased instances of workplace injuries, heart attacks and even fatal car crashes.
Key Background
Daylight savings was introduced in the U.S. during World War I as a way to increase daylight during working hours and save money on energy used to illuminate evening hours. Until 1966, when Congress standardized the time change, states and local governments could institute their own time changes whenever they wanted, making it difficult for the transportation industry to coordinate travel between states. Now, states supporting permanent daylight saving time say changing times twice a year is a nuisance and no longer necessary to save fuel.
