# House Set to Vote on Ending Twice-Yearly Clock Changes — Here’s What It Means for Texans
North Texans who dread the disorienting ritual of springing forward and falling back may soon get their wish. The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing to vote on legislation that would lock the nation’s clocks on daylight saving time permanently, eliminating the biannual time shift that has confused sleep schedules and sparked debate for decades.
## The Bill Heading to the House Floor
,The Sunshine Protection Act is scheduled to be considered in the House at some point during the week of July 13., ,The legislation would repeal a section of the Uniform Time Act of 1966 to end the yearly “fall back” and “spring forward” time changes.,
The bill’s momentum picked up significantly after ,the Sunshine Protection Act, an effort supported by President Trump, passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee 48-1 in May and allows states to opt out., That overwhelming bipartisan support has fueled optimism among backers that this attempt — unlike prior failed efforts — could actually reach the president’s desk.
,Representative Vern Buchanan, a Florida Republican who has put forward the bill regularly since 2018, proposed it again this year., Ahead of the vote, ,Buchanan said his bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act will bring the country one step closer to ending the outdated and unpopular practice of changing clocks twice a year, adding that the evidence is clear that permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity.,
## Trump’s Push for a “Big Win”
President Trump has thrown his weight behind the effort, framing it as both a practical fix and a political victory. In a recent social media post, the president argued ,he intends to work hard to see the Sunshine Protection Act signed into law, saying it’s time people can stop worrying about the “clock,” along with all the work and money spent on what he called a “ridiculous, twice yearly production.”, He went further, predicting the move ,would also be a very nice win for the Republican Party, calling the daylight saving option the “far more popular alternative” that gives Americans a longer, brighter day.,
## Not the Only Bill in Play
While Buchanan’s measure has the clearest path forward, it isn’t the only clock-related proposal circulating on Capitol Hill. ,The bill headed to a vote is one of six pieces of legislation currently in Congress attempting to end the biannual clock-changing ritual, with some lawmakers wanting to freeze on standard time and others on daylight saving time — a dispute that has doomed every previous bid for a single, year-round standard., Competing proposals include ,the Daylight Act, sponsored by Rep. Celeste Maloy, which would allow states to elect to observe daylight saving time for the duration of the year,, and a compromise measure from ,Rep. Greg Steube that would move clocks forward a half hour from standard time rather than a full hour, ending the biannual changes altogether., However, ,all of the other time-change bills remain stuck in the Energy and Commerce Committee,, leaving Buchanan’s version as the frontrunner.
## What Happens If It Passes
Even if the House approves the measure, the fight wouldn’t be over. ,If it passes, it would still need approval from the Senate to become law., The Senate has moved on this issue before — ,the U.S. Senate voted unanimously in March 2022 to make daylight saving time permanent, though the measure stalled in the House due to opposition., This time, the companion legislation appears to have traction, as ,Sen. Rick Scott’s Senate counterpart bill has already cleared the Commerce Committee.,
Not everyone in Washington is on board. ,Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas has signaled opposition, warning the measure would result in “absurdly late” winter sunrises and force children to “walk to school in the pitch black” across much of the country., That concern isn’t hypothetical — ,if the Sunshine Protection Act were to pass, sunrise in some parts of the country wouldn’t arrive until well after 8 a.m. during the darkest winter months, meaning many school and work commutes would happen before daybreak.,
## A History of False Starts
Americans have tried permanent daylight saving time before, and it didn’t go well. ,During the 1970s energy crisis, President Nixon signed permanent daylight saving time into law in 1974, and while it was initially popular, opinions soured within months after an uptick in children being struck by cars in the dark — prompting Congress to reverse course by that October.,
## The Texas Angle
For Dallas-Fort Worth residents, the practical effect would be later sunsets nearly year-round — welcome news for evening commuters, outdoor diners and youth sports leagues, but a potential headache for early risers heading to work or school before sunup in the winter months. Texas is among the states that have already signaled support for such a shift at the state level, part of a broader trend: ,so far, 19 states have passed laws supporting year-round daylight saving time,, though ,those state laws cannot take effect until the federal Uniform Time Act is amended to allow it.,
As the House prepares to cast its vote, the outcome will determine whether North Texans — and the rest of the country — finally stop resetting their clocks each spring and fall, or whether the debate drags into another election cycle without resolution.