WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced legislation that would make standard time the year-round national default, reopening a long-running debate over whether the country should permanently end the twice-yearly clock changes.
The proposal, known as the Sunshine for Our Kids Act, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, a Pennsylvania Democrat, and Representative Pat Harrigan, a North Carolina Republican. The bill would place most of the United States on permanent standard time while allowing individual states to adopt permanent daylight saving time through state law if they choose.
Supporters said the measure aims to eliminate the seasonal clock changes that occur each spring and autumn while aligning the nation's official time more closely with human circadian rhythms. Scanlon said the legislation is intended to improve public safety and youth development by ending the biannual time changes, which research has linked to short-term disruptions in sleep and increased accident risks.
The proposal comes as Congress is also considering a competing approach. On Tuesday, the House overwhelmingly approved the Sunshine Protection Act, a separate bill that would instead make daylight saving time permanent nationwide by a vote of 308-117. That measure, backed by President Donald Trump, would end the clock changes by keeping most Americans on daylight saving time throughout the year if enacted.
The House rejected an effort to bring the permanent standard time proposal to the floor before voting on the daylight saving time legislation.
The competing bills reflect a broader policy debate over which time standard should become permanent. Advocates of year-round daylight saving time argue that lighter evening hours could encourage economic activity, outdoor recreation and reduce the disruption caused by changing clocks. Opponents say darker winter mornings could increase safety risks for schoolchildren and commuters and conflict with recommendations from sleep specialists.
Under current federal law, states may remain on permanent standard time, as Hawaii and most of Arizona already do, but they cannot independently adopt permanent daylight saving time without congressional approval.
Both proposals would require approval by the Senate before reaching the president's desk. As of Wednesday, neither measure had completed the legislative process.
