# House Passes Bill to End Twice-Yearly Clock Changes, Sending Daylight Saving Time Measure to Senate
The decades-long tug-of-war over America’s clocks moved one step closer to resolution this week after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to make daylight saving time the permanent national standard, sending the measure to the Senate for what could be its final legislative test.
## Bipartisan Vote Clears Chamber
Lawmakers approved the Sunshine Protection Act by a vote of ,308-117,, a decisive margin that reflects the bipartisan frustration many Americans feel toward the biannual ritual of springing forward and falling back. The vote came a day after the measure cleared the House Rules Committee, which teed up the floor vote in a 6-4 decision.
If enacted, ,the bill would put the country on the time currently observed from March to November unless a state exempted itself before the act took effect,. In practice, that means the country would abandon standard time altogether, locking clocks into what is currently known as daylight saving time year-round — while giving individual states the choice to opt out in favor of permanent standard time instead.
Notably, the legislation includes flexibility for state legislatures. ,The Sunshine Protection Act allows states to opt out of permanent daylight saving time in favor of permanent standard time if opt-out legislation is passed through their respective state legislatures, and states can do so right up until the bill’s enactment.,
## Trump’s Push and Buchanan’s Long Campaign
The bill carries the personal backing of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly pressed lawmakers to eliminate the twice-a-year time shift. Following the measure’s advancement out of committee, ,Trump wrote that “it’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice-yearly production,” adding it would also be “a very nice WIN for the Republican Party.”,
Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., the bill’s longtime author, has introduced versions of the Sunshine Protection Act in every Congress since 2018. Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, he urged colleagues to act, saying he has ,”advocated for this change for years because it’s clear that year-round daylight saving time is a popular, commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans,” encouraging colleagues “to vote for this crucial bipartisan bill to lock the clock for good.”,
The legislation’s momentum built steadily this year. ,The bill’s advancement comes after the House Energy and Commerce Committee overwhelmingly passed the measure 48-1 in May., The bill currently carries ,34 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, while Senate companion legislation introduced by Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla., has 18 bipartisan cosponsors.,
## A Familiar Roadblock in the Senate
Despite the House’s strong showing, the bill’s path forward is far from guaranteed. The Senate has attempted this maneuver before — and failed to see it through. ,In 2022, the Senate voted to make daylight saving time permanent by unanimous consent, but the measure failed to advance in the House., This time, the obstacle may run in the opposite direction.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has emerged as the measure’s most vocal opponent. ,A Senate version of the bill stalled last year after Cotton objected to fast-tracking its passage via unanimous consent, arguing the change could lead to overlooked negative consequences — including regions where the sun wouldn’t rise until 9 a.m. or later, dangerous dark morning commutes, and workers forced to begin shifts before sunrise.,
Cotton’s objection echoes concerns raised the last time the Senate tried to fast-track similar legislation. ,A member of Cotton’s staff previously indicated he was vehemently opposed to the bill and would have objected to its 2022 passage had he been informed of it in advance.,
## Health Experts Remain Divided
The debate over which time standard is healthiest for Americans continues to split the medical community from the tourism and recreation industries. Supporters argue that ending the clock switch would reduce workplace injuries, car crashes and sleep disruptions tied to the transition itself, while also extending evening daylight for outdoor activity and economic activity during the winter months.
But sleep researchers have pushed back forcefully, warning that permanent daylight saving time could work against the body’s natural rhythms. Groups including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the American Medical Association and the National Sleep Foundation have instead called for locking the clock on standard time, which they argue better aligns waking hours with natural daylight.
## A History of False Starts
This isn’t the country’s first attempt at a permanent switch. The U.S. briefly adopted year-round daylight saving time during World War II, and President Richard Nixon revived the practice in 1974 amid the national oil crisis. That experiment proved deeply unpopular, particularly due to dark winter mornings, and Congress repealed it within the year.
Today, nineteen states have already passed legislation preparing to make daylight saving time permanent the moment Congress grants approval, while several others are weighing measures to lock in standard time instead.
## What Comes Next
With the House vote behind it, the Sunshine Protection Act now heads to the Senate, where it will need to clear the chamber before landing on President Trump’s desk for a signature. Given Cotton’s past objections and the Senate’s history of stalling similar legislation, the bill’s ultimate fate remains uncertain — leaving millions of Americans to wonder whether this will finally be the year the clock-changing tradition comes to an end, or simply another chapter in a debate that has persisted for decades.