Legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, faces significant legislative hurdles despite passing the House of Representatives. While proponents argue the change would improve public safety and promote active lifestyles, health experts and some senators express concern over the potential for chronic sleep misalignment and darker winter mornings.
Legislative Status of the Sunshine Protection Act
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14, a bill designed to end the biannual tradition of shifting clocks. If enacted, the legislation would make daylight saving time—currently observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November—the permanent standard across the country. According to reporting by TODAY.com, the bill allows individual states to opt out of this arrangement before it takes effect.
Despite the House’s support, the proposal faces a difficult path in the Senate. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton has emerged as a vocal critic of the bill. During a debate in October 2025, Cotton argued that the move would push winter sunrises to an absurdly late hour, depriving Americans of morning sunshine that’s essential for our safety and wellbeing.
Sources indicate that Cotton intends to urge Senate Majority Leader John Thune to block the bill from reaching a floor vote.
Historical Precedent: The 1970s Energy Experiment
The current push for permanent daylight saving time is not the first time the U.S. has attempted to abandon the biannual clock shift. In 1974, the government implemented a similar trial period in response to energy concerns. As NBC News reported, President Richard Nixon pitched the change as a way to conserve fuel with a minimum of inconvenience.
The experiment was short-lived. By October 1975, the law was repealed following significant public outcry. Critics at the time were particularly alarmed by the impact on school-aged children, who were forced to commute in total darkness during the winter months.
“I had to get up for school and it was like it was midnight. It was just pitch black and it remained pitch black into the school day.”
Public Health and Sleep Science Concerns
While research shows that the sudden transition of losing an hour of sleep in the spring can increase the risk of heart attacks and traffic accidents, Troxel argues that if the country is to choose a single, permanent time, it should be standard time—not daylight saving time. The health benefits of morning light, which include improved mood, alertness, and productivity, would be significantly reduced under a permanent daylight saving system, potentially forcing many to wait until 9 a.m. to see sunlight during winter months.
Political and Public Opinion
Public opinion remains fragmented. According to TODAY.com, a March 2025 Gallup poll revealed that only 24% of U.S. adults support year-round daylight saving time, while 48% prefer permanent standard time and 19% favor the current system of switching back and forth. Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett noted the legislative uncertainty, telling reporters: I’m kind of digging the fact that we’re going to fix it, I hope. See if the Senate takes it up. They probably won’t, but we’ll see.
Find more reporting in our Health section.
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