Daylight Saving Time Could Become Permanent After House Committee Votes 48-1 to Advance New Bill — What This Means

The US House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 48-1 on Thursday to advance the Sunshine Protection Act to the full House, bringing the country closer than ever to making daylight saving time (DST) permanent and ending the twice-yearly clock change for more than 300 million Americans.

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), who has introduced the bill every Congress since 2018, called it 'one step closer to ending the outdated and unpopular practice of changing our clocks twice a year.' The legislation was folded into the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act (H.R. 7389), a broader transportation funding package that cleared the committee in a single vote.

The bill has 32 bipartisan cosponsors in the House. A Senate companion from Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) carries 18 cosponsors.

Sleep Experts Warn Permanent DST Could Harm Public Health

But the near-unanimous tally hid a sharp disagreement over health. Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA) pushed back during the markup, citing research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) that argues permanent standard time is actually the safer choice for the human body.

The AASM's position, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine and backed by more than 20 medical and civic organisations, warns that permanent DST would push the body's internal clock out of alignment with the natural light-dark cycle. The group has linked the annual spring-forward shift to increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, mood disorders, and traffic accidents.

The academy's stance is blunt. Year-round standard time, it says, is the option that best matches human circadian biology, and permanent DST could worsen the very health problems the clock change already causes.

Dark Mornings and the School Run

For parents, the practical concern is hard to ignore. Under permanent DST, winter sunrises across much of the US would not happen until after 8:00am. In northern states like Michigan and Indiana, the sun wouldn't rise until after 9:00am, meaning children would head to school in total darkness for months.

The US tested this once before. In 1974, President Richard Nixon signed permanent DST into law during the oil crisis. Public support collapsed within months as parents watched their children walk to bus stops in the dark. Congress scaled back the policy before the end of that year.

A Competing Bill Proposes Splitting the Difference

Not every lawmaker agrees that a full hour forward is the answer. Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced the Daylight Act of 2026 earlier this year, which would permanently set US clocks 30 minutes ahead of standard time instead of a full hour, a compromise between the two camps.

The AASM has acknowledged this approach would be 'less harmful' than a full hour of permanent DST, though it still wouldn't fully protect circadian health. No action has been taken on Steube's bill since it was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

What Comes Next for the Sunshine Protection Act

President Donald Trump praised the committee vote on Thursday, writing on Truth Social that he would 'work very hard' to get the bill signed into law. He called the twice-yearly production a waste of money, arguing that cities and states are forced to spend massive amounts renting heavy equipment just to change large tower clocks. Ultimately, he described permanent DST as an 'easy' and 'very nice WIN for the Republican Party.'

Nineteen states have already passed their own legislation to adopt permanent DST, but none can act without federal approval. Florida became the first to do so in 2018, with states like Maine and Texas following in 2025. If Congress doesn't pass the bill, Americans will set their clocks back once more on Sunday, 1 November.

The overwhelming 48-1 vote shows Congress is ready to stop changing the clocks. Whether it picks the right time to lock them on is the question scientists say lawmakers still haven't answered.