The House of Representatives of the United States approved the Sunshine Protection Act on Tuesday, legislation that would end the biannual clock changes and establish daylight saving time as the permanent standard nationwide.
The bill was supported by 308 votes in favor and 117 against, in a bipartisan vote that now moves the decision to the Senate.
A project driven from Florida
The initiative was introduced in January 2025 by representative Vern Buchanan (Republican from Florida), with the support of representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee and one of its main advocates.
Bilirakis summarized the feelings of his constituents: “Floridians are tired of the outdated and unnecessary practice of changing the clocks twice a year.”
The Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Representative Brett Guthrie (KY-02), had approved the bill on May 21 with a decisive vote of 48 to one before it reached the full House.
Trump, a declared ally
President Donald Trump has been one of the most visible advocates of this legislation, and he promised in May to work towards its enactment.
“It’s time for people to stop worrying about the 'clock', not to mention all the work and money spent on this ridiculous process that occurs twice a year. It will also be a great VICTORY for the Republican Party. Take advantage of it!”, he wrote on Truth Social almost two months ago.
The president also noted that changing clocks costs citizens, cities, and states "hundreds of millions of dollars" every year, and defended permanent daylight saving time as "the most popular alternative" because "it gives you a longer and brighter day."
What does the law establish?
If approved by the Senate and enacted, the legislation would establish as a permanent standard the schedule currently in effect from March to November, eliminating the biannual adjustments.
States with prior exemptions could choose to maintain standard time throughout the year.
Currently, Arizona, Hawaii, and territories like Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands do not observe daylight saving time.
Additionally, 19 states have passed laws that would allow them to adopt permanent daylight saving time as soon as federal Congress authorizes it, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The obstacle in the Senate
The path in the upper chamber will not be easy. The main obstacle is the Republican Senator Tom Cotton (Arkansas), who in October 2025 blocked a bid for expedited approval via unanimous consent.
Cotton argues that permanent daylight saving time would bring negative consequences in winter: in cities like Grand Rapids, Michigan, the sun would not rise until 9:15 AM, and in Williston, North Dakota, until 9:45 AM, forcing children and workers to travel in the dark.
This is not the first time the proposal has gotten this far.
In March 2022, the Senate unanimously approved an earlier version of the same bill, but the House never put it to a vote.
A divided public opinion
Although changing the clock twice a year is widely unpopular - according to a 2025 AP-NORC survey - preferences regarding which alternative to adopt are far from unanimous.
A Gallup survey from the same year revealed that 48% of those wishing to eliminate the time change prefer permanent standard time, compared to only 24% who lean towards permanent daylight saving time.
The closest historical precedent is also not encouraging: in 1974, President Richard Nixon enacted a permanent daylight saving time law during the energy crisis, but it was repealed less than a year later due to the unpopularity of dark winter mornings.
The project now moves to the Senate, where its future will depend on whether Republican leaders can overcome Cotton's opposition and gather the necessary votes to move forward without requiring unanimous consent.
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