A push to make permanent daylight savings time is moving closer to a major federal decision, with 19 states having already passed laws supporting year-round daylight saving time if Congress allows the change. The issue has gained renewed attention after the U.S. House advanced legislation that would end the twice-yearly clock change.
19 States Have Approved Year-Round DST
Florida became the first state to approve legislation for permanent daylight saving time in 2018. Since then, 18 other states have enacted similar measures, including Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Idaho, Louisiana, South Carolina, Utah, Wyoming, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.
However, those state laws cannot take effect on their own. Federal law currently does not allow states to observe daylight saving time throughout the entire year. Congress would need to change federal law before the states could implement permanent daylight saving time.
House Advances Sunshine Protection Act
The debate received new momentum in July 2026 when the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act by a 308-117 vote. The legislation would make daylight saving time permanent across most of the country and eliminate the annual practice of changing clocks in the spring and fall.
The proposal still faces the Senate before it could become law. The Senate previously approved a similar version unanimously in 2022, but that effort did not ultimately become law after concerns were raised about the effects of permanent daylight saving time.
Why the Time Change Remains Controversial
Supporters of permanent daylight saving time point to longer periods of evening daylight and the convenience of keeping the same clock time throughout the year. Support for ending clock changes, however, does not necessarily mean Americans agree on which time standard should become permanent.
An AP-NORC poll cited by The Washington Post found that 56% of Americans preferred year-round daylight saving time, while 42% preferred year-round standard time. Only 12% supported keeping the current twice-yearly clock-changing system.
For now, the 19 states that have approved permanent daylight saving time remain dependent on congressional action. The Senate’s consideration of the federal legislation will determine whether those state laws can eventually take effect.
Source : newsnationnow.com
