US House passes bill to make daylight saving time permanent

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill that would end the practice of changing clocks twice a year and make daylight saving time permanent.

The bid to end clock-changing, dubbed the Sunshine Protection Act, has bipartisan support, including the backing of Donald Trump and some Democratic co-sponsors. Following the 308-117 tally in the House, the bill next goes to the Senate.

A House rules committee approved the rule to advance the bill on a 6-4 vote on Monday.

Most US states change clocks twice a year, springing forward in the spring and falling back in the fall with the goal of extending daylight hours. Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t participate in the clock-changing.

The bill, sponsored by Vern Buchanan, a Florida Republican representative, would make daylight saving time the new permanent standard time. It would lead to later sunrises and sunsets, giving more daylight in the evening hours during darker times of year. Under the proposal, states would have the option to opt out and remain on permanent standard time.

“Americans across the country are tired of the biannual clock 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,” Buchanan said ahead of the vote.

After the energy committee vote, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the bill would be a “very nice WIN for the Republican Party”.

“We are going with the far more popular alternative, Saving Daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter Day – And who can be against that – This is an easy one!” he wrote.

Daylight saving time was introduced in the early 20th century to conserve energy and give people more hours to enjoy sunlight during wartime. But since then, it has been something of a national debate.

Previous efforts to install a permanent daylight saving time have stalled out legislatively, though there is growing support to end the practice of changing times. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 19 states have a state-level law that would allow for permanent daylight saving time if Congress approves such a measure.

There is debate over whether daylight saving time or standard time should be the set standard. Sleep medicine specialists, for instance, have previously argued that a fixed standard time is more aligned with circadian rhythms.

-The Guardian