The Sunshine Protection Act would end the twice-yearly clock change and make Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide — more evening light, a stronger economy, and healthier Americans. One chamber down. One to go.
Tell Your Senators → Or read the bill yourself: H.R. 139 on Congress.govOn July 14, 2026, the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act (H.R. 139), sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), by a bipartisan 308–117 vote. The bill does one thing: it makes Daylight Saving Time — the clock Americans already live on from March to November — the permanent, year-round national time. No more "spring forward," no more "fall back," ever. It requires no new spending, and states that already opted out of DST, like Arizona and Hawaii, stay exactly as they are.
The Senate companion, S. 29, sponsored by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), has 18 bipartisan cosponsors — including Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Rand Paul (R-KY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) — and has already cleared the Commerce Committee. President Trump has publicly backed the bill and urged the Senate to pass it.
This is not a long shot: in 2022, the Senate passed an earlier version by unanimous consent. It's one floor vote away.
Daylight Saving Time began as a World War I fuel-saving measure in 1918, was revived in World War II, and was standardized by the Uniform Time Act of 1966 after decades of chaotic local patchworks. Congress extended DST in 1986 and again in 2005, so Americans now spend nearly eight months of every year on Daylight Saving Time — "standard" time only covers about four winter months. DST is already the de facto American clock; the law just forces us to abandon it every November.
The original rationale — saving lamp oil and coal — no longer fits a modern economy of air conditioning, LEDs, and 24/7 commerce. Modern studies find the energy savings from switching are negligible. What remains is the disruption: twice a year, 330 million people shift their sleep, schedules, school buses, flights, and servers by an hour, for essentially no benefit. Polls consistently find a large majority of Americans want to stop changing the clocks, and about 20 states have passed laws or resolutions to adopt permanent DST — all of them blocked until Congress acts.
Congress adopts Daylight Saving Time to conserve fuel during World War I. It's repealed a year later after public backlash.
FDR reinstates year-round DST during World War II. Afterward, states and cities set clocks however they please — creating scheduling chaos.
Congress standardizes the twice-yearly switch nationwide — locking in the "spring forward, fall back" system we still endure today.
Amid the energy crisis, the U.S. tries year-round DST in January. Dark winter mornings sour the public and Congress repeals it — a lesson today's supporters say no longer applies to modern schedules.
Congress extends DST twice, to nearly eight months a year. Daylight Saving Time becomes America's de facto clock.
Florida passes the first state Sunshine Protection Act. About 20 states follow with laws or resolutions for permanent DST — all blocked until Congress acts.
The Senate passes the Sunshine Protection Act by unanimous consent, but the bill dies in the House. Proof the Senate can do this.
Rep. Buchanan introduces H.R. 139 and Sen. Scott introduces S. 29, which clears the Senate Commerce Committee with 18 bipartisan cosponsors.
With President Trump's backing, the House approves permanent Daylight Saving Time by an overwhelming bipartisan margin.
One vote stands between America and the end of clock changes forever. Contact your senators today.
The JPMorgan Chase Institute analyzed millions of card transactions and found the fall return to standard time cuts daily spending by 2.2%–4.9% (about 3.5% in L.A.) — a measurable, recurring drag on retail every November.
The golf industry alone estimates $200–$400 million per year in extra revenue from later sunsets, and convenience retailers report 1–3% higher evening foot traffic during DST months.
The Monday after "spring forward," sleep-deprived workers make more errors and suffer more workplace injuries — with estimated costs to the economy in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Honest note: some economists caution the net GDP effect of permanent DST is modest (Money). But even skeptics agree the twice-yearly switch imposes real, avoidable costs — which is exactly what this bill eliminates.
Extended evening daylight means more outdoor activity for kids and adults. The abrupt fall return to standard time is linked to a ~11% spike in depressive episodes in a large Danish registry study.
Robberies fall roughly 7% when DST extends evening daylight — with a ~27% drop during the newly lit evening hour — and evening pedestrian deaths decline when the commute home is lit.
Whatever clock the nation picks, physicians agree: the transitions themselves are the most harmful part of the current system. A permanent time ends the biannual circadian whiplash entirely.
| Documented harm | Finding | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Heart attacks | Admissions rose 24% the Monday after the spring shift in a study of Michigan hospitals. | Open Heart / UAB |
| Strokes | Ischemic stroke rates were 8% higher in the two days after a transition; higher for cancer patients and those over 65. | Finnish registry study |
| Fatal car crashes | Up about 6% in the week after "spring forward" — an estimated 28 additional deaths per year. | Current Biology (2020) |
| Sleep & circadian disruption | Losing an hour of sleep strains the cardiovascular system and impairs judgment, mood, and immune function for days. | American Heart Association |
| Mental health | Clock transitions are linked to increased depression, workplace injuries, and medical errors. | The Conversation |
For balance: a 2025 Duke analysis found smaller acute effects than earlier studies, and some sleep scientists — including a Stanford Medicine team and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine — would rather lock the clock on permanent standard time. Critics also point to the failed 1974 experiment. On the central point, though, nearly everyone agrees: the switching must end. The trade-off — darker winter mornings in exchange for an hour of winter evening light — is real; see your city's exact numbers and judge it yourself.
U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 — ask to be connected to your senator's office, or find direct lines and contact forms at senate.gov.
| Senator | Why they matter | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Rick Scott (R-FL) | Senate sponsor of S. 29 — thank him and ask how to help | rickscott.senate.gov |
| John Thune (R-SD) | Majority Leader — controls whether the bill gets a floor vote | thune.senate.gov |
| Ted Cruz (R-TX) | Chair, Commerce Committee — the bill's committee of jurisdiction | cruz.senate.gov |
| Patty Murray (D-WA) | Leading Democratic cosponsor pushing for a quick floor vote | murray.senate.gov |
| Ed Markey (D-MA) | Cosponsor and longtime "Sun King" of DST legislation | markey.senate.gov |
| Your two senators | Constituent contacts count the most — start here | Find yours |
Tip: calls and emails from actual constituents are weighted far more heavily than out-of-state messages. Start with your own senators, then thank the champions above.
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