House Energy and Commerce lawmakers are set to move a proposal that could let states opt out of the twice-yearly clock changes—after Rep. Vern Buchanan moved the Sunshine Protection Act into a broader transportation package.
For the millions of Americans who already feel they’re losing an hour twice a year, the debate is about to shift from irritation to legislation.
On May 21. the House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold a markup where lawmakers will debate. amend. or rewrite H.R. 7389, also known as the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act. Buried inside that transportation bill is a time-change fix that could allow states to make daylight saving time permanent—if they choose.
Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, said his Sunshine Protection Act will be folded into the broader transportation proposal on May 20, one day before the committee considers it.
Buchanan has introduced the Sunshine Protection Act every legislative session since 2018. His pitch is straightforward: end what he describes as the “biannual time change.” In a statement dated May 20. he said Floridians and “Americans across the country are tired” of adjusting their clocks twice a year and that evidence shows permanent daylight saving time can improve public health. reduce traffic accidents. lower crime. and encourage more outdoor activity. He called “ending the clock change” a “commonsense reform” that would improve everyday life for “millions of Americans.”.
The bill is already gaining traction in Congress. The Sunshine Protection Act has 32 cosponsors—29 Republicans and three Democrats.
The proposal would work by letting states exempt themselves from the twice-yearly time change. The act is written to leave the choice to the states rather than impose a national switch.
It’s not the first time daylight saving legislation has tried to break through. The committee communications director. Matt VanHyfte. said the topic has been on the agenda for “a number of members for a while now.” In a statement. he pointed to testimony from a hearing held last November. where lawmakers heard that an extra hour of sun at the end of the day can boost economic activity. He also cited safety concerns. saying there is evidence of a surge in traffic fatalities occurring the week following time changes.
Across the country, state-level action has moved in fits and starts, even as federal change has remained stuck. Almost every state has considered time zone bills since 2015. but none passed at scale until 2018. when Florida became the first state to enact legislation permanently observing daylight saving time.
Hawaii and Arizona do not observe daylight saving time because they remain on standard time year-round.
Since 2018. “20 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to provide for year-round daylight saving time. if Congress were to allow such a change. and in some cases. if surrounding states enact the same legislation. ” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Those states are Alabama. Colorado. Delaware. Florida. Georgia. Idaho. Oklahoma. Kentucky. Louisiana. Maine. Minnesota. Mississippi. Montana. Ohio. Oregon. South Carolina. Tennessee. Utah. Washington. and Wyoming.
Still, the political fight isn’t just about what lawmakers want. It’s about what Americans will actually tolerate.
A 2025 AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found the public is split even though many people dislike the ritual of changing the clocks. In that poll, 47% of respondents opposed the current system of daylight saving time, while 12% were in favor of its observance. The survey was conducted between Oct. 9 and Oct. 13, 2025, and included 1,289 adults age 18 or older.
The “annoying” part is easy to understand. Moving clocks forward one hour in the spring means people lose an hour of sleep. bringing less light in the morning and more light in the evening. Moving clocks back one hour in the fall brings an extra hour of sleep. along with more light in the morning and less in the evening.
President Donald Trump has been a vocal supporter of ending the changes, but even he has described the issue as politically uneven.
Since winning back the White House in 2024. Trump has voiced support for scrapping biannual clock changes while also acknowledging the lack of consensus. In December 2024. Trump posted on Truth Social that the GOP would “use its best efforts to eliminate daylight saving time. ” adding that changing clocks “is inconvenient. and very costly to our Nation.”.
Then, in March 2025, he called it a toss-up. “This should be the easiest one of all, but it’s a 50-50 issue. If something’s a 50-50 issue. it’s hard to get excited. ” Trump said. describing why some people prefer more light later while others prefer more light earlier. including concerns about taking kids to school in the dark. “A lot of people like it one way, a lot of people like it the other way, it’s very even.”.
The White House did not return a request for comment on the Sunshine Protection Act.
Taken together. the timeline is striking: a state-by-state effort built over years. a Congress-led push that has never quite gone all the way. and now a chance for the clock debate to enter a major committee discussion just as the year’s earliest possible daylight saving start is setting up a new round of public grumbling.
By May 21, lawmakers will decide whether the question stays a familiar policy argument—or becomes a state-by-state option to lock the clocks in place.
daylight saving time Sunshine Protection Act H.R. 7389 Motor Vehicle Modernization Act Vern Buchanan House Energy and Commerce Committee time change legislation Matt VanHyfte AP-NORC survey Trump daylight saving time