No more daylight saving time: New plan would put U.S. on standard time year-round
Congress is set this week to vote a plan to allow states to make a permanent switch to daylight saving time. A new proposal, however, would do the opposite.
Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pennsylvania, and Pat Harrigan, R-North Carolina, have introduced the “Sunshine for Our Kids Act of 2026.” The bipartisan bill would institute permanent standard time – currently observed from November through March – throughout the U.S.
“For decades, scientists and medical professionals have highlighted the detrimental mental and physical health impacts of twice-a-year clock changes, particularly on children and teens,” Scanlon said in a statement. “The Sunshine for Our Kids Act will not only help children and teens during the most important years for mental and physical development but will also promote public health and safety in our communities.”
Under the proposal, more daylight would shift to the morning hours and away from the afternoon, the same as when we “fall back” each November. Currently, DST runs from the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November with standard time in place for the remainder of the year.
READ MORE: Daylight saving time: Here’s when clocks ‘fall back’ in 2026
Currently, two states, Hawaii and most of Arizona, use standard time all year. No state uses Daylight Saving Time all year, but the “Sunshine Protection Act,” set to go to the House this week, would allow states to eliminate standard time in favor of 12 months of DST. While states can opt to stay in standard time all year, a move to DST requires Congressional approval. Nineteen states have already voted to make DST permanent if Congressional action is taken.
Scanlan and Harrigan, however, said a previous experiment with year-round DST in 1974 was “quickly abandoned amid widespread public dissatisfaction,” though their bill allows for a loophole that would allow states to opt in for DST only.
“It’s hard to find anyone who enjoys changing the clocks twice a year, yet Americans have been stuck with the same outdated policy for decades,” Harrigan said. “The Sunshine for Our Kids Act replaces that one-size-fits-all mandate with a smarter approach by making standard time the default while allowing states to decide what works best for their own communities.”
In a fact sheet on the bill, the two lawmakers said the biannual shift has been shown to pose “significant public health and safety risks,” citing increased motor vehicle accidents, cardiovascular events, and mood disorders each time the switch occurs.
