In an unusual move of bipartisan agreement, the House of Representatives voted 308-117 to pass the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 139). The measure, introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, ending the biannual practice of shifting clocks forward in March and back in November.

The bill’s passage is the most significant action taken by Congress on federal timekeeping policy in years, but its survival now hinges precariously on a fractured Senate.

A Shift on the Hill

For decades, any effort to lock the clock has fallen off as a result of legislative gridlock and ever-shifting congressional leadership. A similar iteration of the measure cleared the Senate with unanimous consent in 2022 only to expire in the House, revealing a flip in political dynamics. Backed by the White House, the legislation gained significant bipartisan backing from lawmakers fatigued by voter complaints.

“This commonsense legislation reflects what Americans have been saying for years: it’s time to lock the clock and make daylight saving time permanent. Permanent daylight saving time will improve public safety, promote healthier and more active lifestyles, and give families more daylight to enjoy after work and school,” said Buchannan following the vote. “I’m grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this bipartisan effort, and I urge the Senate to send this long-overdue reform to the president’s desk.”

At least 19 states, including Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, have already passed legislation that would immediately institute year-round daylight saving time as soon as Congress grants federal authorization.

Some states, such as Hawaii, Arizona, and U.S. territories that observe year-round standard time, would remain unaffected once the proposed law is put into effect. 

Roadblocks in the Senate

Despite momentum in the lower chamber, the bill faces uncertainty as it enters the Senate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) cautioned the public about a possible delay in the upper chamber taking up the bill, citing persisting division among lawmakers.

“We’re looking at it, and, you know, the House had a big vote,” Thune told reporters. “There’s a lot of interest in it from members on our side over here — some for, some against.” 

Thune recognized a primary sticking point among skeptics, which is ensuring adequate flexibility for states that might prefer continuing in standard time over daylight saving time. Longtime advocates like Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) have pleaded with leadership not to let the bill sit, calling on Thune publicly to take the measure to the floor as “soon as possible,” stressing that public fatigue over clock-switching has reached an all-time high.

Resistance persists among a core subset of senators. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has prominently highlighted concerns over late winter sunrises, which would have children in northern and western edges of time zones traveling to school in near pitch-black darkness until nearly 9:00 a.m. 

Experts Sound the Alarm

While public opinion polls show strong support for ending the twice-yearly clock changes, consensus in the scientific community remains sharply divided on which time is superior.

Sleep researchers and health organizations such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine have taken strong stances against permanent daylight saving time. Experts assert that standard times align naturally with a human’s circadian rhythm, while permanent daylight saving time disrupts those rhythms by delaying morning light exposure. 

A study evaluating circadian health conducted by Stanford University found that adopting permanent standard time would effectively prevent millions of cases of metabolic and cardiovascular disruption in contrast to permanent daylight saving time.

As the Senate deliberates its next step, standard time proponents continue lobbying for alternatives such as the Daylight Act of 2026, which would be a concession and advance clocks by 30 minutes permanently.

For now, it looks likely that the Senate will remain bogged down by their divisions, and Americans will see another November that sets their clocks back an hour.