The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday to make daylight saving time the permanent national standard, advancing a measure that would end the twice-yearly ritual of springing forward and falling back.

Lawmakers approved the Sunshine Protection Act 308-117, with 22 Republicans and 95 Democrats voting against the measure. The bill, formally known as H.R. 139, was authored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and drew support from members of both parties as well as the White House.

How It Passed

The bill’s momentum built over several months. The Sunshine Protection Act gained steam after the House Energy and Commerce Committee overwhelmingly advanced it 48-1 in May. It cleared another procedural step Monday when the House Rules Committee took up the measure ahead of Tuesday’s floor vote.

Under the bill, states would be allowed to voluntarily observe daylight saving time year-round, effectively removing the requirement to fall back to standard time each November. States that already have an exemption to use standard time year-round, such as Hawaii and most of Arizona, would keep that option once the law takes effect.

Supporters framed the change as a matter of convenience and safety. Buchanan said in a statement that “Floridians and Americans across the country are tired of the biannual time change, and the evidence is clear that permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity.” Nearly 20 states have already passed their own legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, contingent on Congress authorizing the practice.

Not everyone was on board. Opponents raised concerns about darker winter mornings, particularly for schoolchildren, echoing objections that have stalled similar efforts in the Senate.

A History of False Starts

Congress first enacted daylight saving time in 1918 to extend daylight hours and conserve energy during World War I, and the practice was reinstated during World War II. In 1973, Congress briefly made daylight saving time permanent, but reversed course within months after public opinion soured on the experiment. The current system, which begins the second Sunday in March and ends the first Sunday in November, was set under President George W. Bush.

This isn’t the first time Congress has tried to lock the clock in recent years. The Senate unanimously approved a similar measure in 2022, but it stalled in the House and never got a vote. A follow-up attempt in the Senate stalled last year after Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., objected to fast-tracking the bill’s passage through unanimous consent.

What’s Next

The bill’s path forward is not guaranteed. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where its future remains unclear. Cotton has already signaled resistance, warning previously that permanent daylight saving time could “push winter sunrises to an absurdly late hour” and force schools to push back start times or leave kids walking to school in the dark.

President Donald Trump has publicly backed the bill and said he would sign it if it reaches his desk. He wrote on Truth Social that he was “going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law,” arguing the current system wastes time and money.

Unless the Senate acts and Trump signs the measure into law before the fall, Americans should still expect to set their clocks back on Nov. 1 as usual.

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