Time Change Debate Reaches US Congress: Bill Forwarded to Eliminate Daylight Saving Transition

The US House Committee on Energy and Commerce has approved the "Sunshine Protection Act," a bill aimed at making daylight saving time permanent across the nation, Reuters reports. During the committee vote, 48 members supported the document, while only one expressed opposition.

If this initiative receives full legislative backing, it will put an end to the practice of Americans shifting their clocks twice a year. Proponents of the bill argue that frequent changes to time zones disrupt citizens' sleep schedules, increase the risk of workplace injuries, and lead to a higher number of traffic accidents. Furthermore, extending daylight hours during the winter season is expected to increase the time people spend visiting retail stores and service sectors, thereby positively impacting small and medium-sized businesses.

US President Donald Trump expressed his support for the bill. Making a statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, he called changing the time twice a year an inefficient procedure and emphasized the necessity to stop spending time and financial resources on this process.

However, there are also those who raise arguments against the approval of the document in Congress. According to Republican Senator Tom Cotton, keeping daylight saving time year-round would result in later sunrises during the winter months. Under these circumstances, school students in several states would be forced to commute to their educational institutions in the dark during morning hours, which could create safety concerns. It is worth noting that the bill preserves the right of individual states to opt out of transitioning to this permanent system.

The daylight saving time system has been continuously used in the United States since the 1960s. Prior to that, a year-round permanent regime was introduced for energy-saving purposes during World War II and later during the 1974 energy crisis. However, the 1974 reform failed to gain public support and was repealed within the same year.

Previously, in March 2022, the US Senate unanimously approved this bill, but at that time, the House of Representatives did not bring the document to a general vote. Currently, the bill is in the stage of being forwarded for consideration by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.