In a Congress, where bipartisan votes have been few, lawmakers appear to be coming together on making Daylight Savings Time (DST) permanent.
First proposed independently …
In a Congress, where bipartisan votes have been few, lawmakers appear to be coming together on making Daylight Savings Time (DST) permanent. First proposed independently by a late 19th century entomologist and an early 20th century builder, the U.S. temporarily introduced the measure during World War I. The Uniform Time Act made DST permanent in 1966, with all states except Arizona and Hawaii adopting the twice-yearly change. Those two maintain standard time throughout the year. Under the Uniform Time Act, states are not permitted to permanently observe Daylight Savings Time. However, several bills in Congress would amend the Uniform Time Act and allow states to make DST permanent. The Sunshine Protection Act, introduced by Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse in 2021, passed the Senate by unanimous consent Tuesday. That bill, a version of which Rubio has proposed in three consecutive congresses, would make the clock change associated with DST permanent. The move to make Daylight Savings Time permanent has also been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the number three Democrat in the upper chamber.
