It's About Time: State Law On Ending Biannual Clock Change
Texas is poised to adopt permanent daylight saving time, dubbed 'Texas Time,' after the state Senate passed House Bill 1393 last week with a 27-4 vote.
The measure will now be sent to Gov. Greg Abbott for his expected signature. However, the change hinges on federal approval, as current law prohibits states from staying on daylight saving time year-round.
HB 1393, introduced by Rep. Will Metcalf (R-Conroe), aims to end the twice-yearly clock changes that many Texans find disruptive. The bill, which cleared the Texas House in April, would permanently keep the state on daylight saving time (DST), extending evening daylight hours.
'The bill would provide numerous benefits to Texans,' said Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), who sponsored the measure in the Senate. 'It's very difficult to use that hour before an 8 a.m. start for school or work very effectively, but you can use the several hours later, up through dusk.'
Under the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966, states can opt for permanent standard time, as Arizona and Hawaii do, but not permanent daylight saving time without Congressional action.
'Right now, the federal government does not allow the states to make this change, so this is effectively a trigger bill,' Bettencourt said.
Texas joins 18 other states, including Florida and Oklahoma, that have passed similar measures awaiting federal permission. The Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to adopt permanent daylight saving time, has been introduced in Congress five times, most recently in 2025, but has not passed.
Critics, like Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas), argue that permanent daylight saving time poses health and safety risks.
'Everybody hates the time change,' Johnson said. 'But this has been studied medically, and there is a ton of health risks.'
He cited disruptions to circadian rhythms and potential increases in pre-dawn traffic accidents, referencing the U.S.'s failed 1974 experiment with year-round daylight saving time, which was repealed after public backlash.
'The question is: Do we go with daylight saving time and always be an hour ahead of where we established our clock centuries ago? Or do we go back to what we've done for centuries?' Johnson said.
Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) proposed permanent standard time and, alongside Bettencourt, suggested a referendum to let Texans choose. Still, neither idea gained traction among the 13 time-related bills filed this session. A 2019 AP-NORC poll found that 40% of Americans favor permanent standard time, 31% prefer permanent daylight saving time, and 28% want to keep the current system.
Public comments on HB 1393 at a hearing in the House largely favored ending the biannual clock change, but most commenters favored a return to permanent standard time rather than permanent daylight saving time.
Frisco resident Shannon Stewart said, 'Daylight Saving Time is dangerous for children, and HORRIBLE for our health. It disrupts our bodies' circadian rhythm. Additionally, DST has been mandated by an overreaching government before (1972) and was so hated that it was repealed. We need PERMANENT Standard Time.'
'Dictating artificial daylight savings is not the job of government,' Stewart continued. 'Noon should be when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, not at a time appointed by government.'
Dr. Audrey Nath, a neurologist in Houston, urged legislators to oppose HB 1393 and instead support HB 1733, HB 1736, or SB 692, which all propose permanent standard time.
'President Nixon had put Permanent DST into effect in 1974, and it was retracted within a year. We do not need to run this experiment again in Texas,' Nath said. 'There are more heart attacks with DST. With permanent Standard Time, there is improved visibility for driving during the morning commute, and better sleep and circadian rhythms. Permanent Standard Time would have a tangible positive effect on the health of Texans.'
Globally, only about a third of countries observe daylight saving time, primarily in Europe and North America, according to the Pew Research Center. In the past decade, nations like Azerbaijan, Iran, and Mexico have abolished the practice, often citing health concerns. Egypt, which ended it in 2014, reinstated it in 2023 for energy savings.
Then-president-elect Donald Trump and allies like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have previously called for ending clock changes. In December, Trump labeled the practice 'inconvenient' and 'very costly' on social media.
If signed by Abbott and approved by Congress, HB 1393 would align Texas with a growing movement to stabilize timekeeping, though its implementation remains uncertain pending federal action.
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