House passes bill to 'ditch the switch' and make daylight saving time
permanent
[July 15, 2026]
By KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — There will be no turning back the clock if the House
has its way.
The House passed a bill Tuesday that would make daylight saving time
permanent. Proponents, including the White House, argued the change
would provide more daylight during the times that Americans are most
active. The vote was 308-117.
Daylight saving time is that period between spring and fall when clocks
in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard
time. States could opt out if their respective legislatures act to do so
before the bill's enactment. The Senate would also have to pass the bill
before it could be signed into law, but it’s unclear if it will do so.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., said Americans are ready to “ditch the
switch," saying that changing the clock twice a year creates unnecessary
disruption. More important, he said, it would give families more
daylight time in the evening to spend outdoors and support local
businesses.
“In my home state of Florida where tourism is a cornerstone of our
economy, having more predictable daylight hours is a practical
improvement that benefits workers, businesses and visitors alike,”
Bilirakis said.
Detractors said permanent daylight saving time would lead to darker and
potentially more hazardous winter mornings where children will be
waiting for school buses and parents will be driving to work in
darkness.
“Millions of Americans will wake up during the winter months in complete
darkness with the sun not rising until long after people get up and
travel to school or work or have to go about their days,” said Rep. Mary
Gay Scanlon, D-Pa.
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Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass, said he supported the bill, but he
questioned whether it was the best way for Congress to be spending
its time.
“For folks getting crushed by rent, groceries, utility bills and
healthcare costs, is this really the best the majority can do?”
McGovern said. “Is this really the most pressing issue before the
American people at this moment?”
A 2025 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs
Research shows that if forced to choose, most Americans would prefer
to keep that extra hour of daylight in the evening.
If they had to choose one option for the entire country to use, more
than half of adults — 56% — prefer making daylight saving time
permanent, with less light in the morning and more light in the
evening. About 4 in 10 prefer standard time, with more light in the
morning and less in the evening.
The White House weighed in before the House vote, calling the
“Sunshine Protection Act” a popular, common-sense reform and saying
advisers would recommend the president sign the bill if it reaches
his desk.
Members of Congress have long been interested in the potential
benefits and costs of daylight saving time since it was first
adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. The Senate passed a bill four
years ago to make daylight saving time permanent, but it stalled in
the House.
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