The House of Representatives has once again advanced legislation that would eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes, approving a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States.
On Tuesday, lawmakers passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 by a vote of 308-117. The measure now moves to the Senate, where similar proposals have stalled in previous years despite support from lawmakers in both parties.
President Donald Trump has publicly backed the legislation and urged Congress to send it to his desk.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump argued that ending the seasonal clock changes would save both time and money.
“The bill is so important in that Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks,” Trump wrote.
“I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production. It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it!”
The legislation attracted bipartisan support in the House, including from Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Buchanan has long advocated for making daylight saving time permanent, arguing that the current system creates unnecessary disruptions.
“Floridians and Americans across the country are tired of the biannual time change, and the evidence is clear that permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity,” Buchanan previously said. “Ending the clock change is a commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans.”
Despite the broad House vote, the bill is expected to face a more difficult path in the Senate.
Previous efforts to end the clock changes have encountered resistance from lawmakers concerned about darker winter mornings, particularly for schoolchildren, as well as questions about how permanent daylight saving time could affect sleep patterns and daily routines.
The debate has also produced conflicting research on the policy’s broader effects.
One frequently cited study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 2008 concluded that daylight saving time did not reduce electricity consumption as originally intended. According to the study, while electricity used for lighting declined, increased demand for heating and air conditioning resulted in an overall increase in residential electricity use of about one percent.
Researchers have also examined the health and safety implications of changing the clocks each spring and fall.
According to data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, traffic fatalities have been found to increase in the days immediately following the spring time change. Other medical research has suggested that the disruption to normal sleep patterns may temporarily raise the risk of certain health problems, including stroke, although researchers continue to study the extent of those effects.
The issue has surfaced repeatedly in Congress over the past several years, but legislative momentum has consistently faded before a bill reached the president’s desk. With House approval now secured and President Trump publicly endorsing the measure, supporters hope this year’s effort will succeed where previous attempts have fallen short.
