Latest news with #SunshineProtectionAct
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
'Texas Time' Moves a Step Closer
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. On Thursday the Texas Legislature approved House Bill 1393, which would make daylight saving time permanent across the state abolishing the current requirement for biannual clock changes. The bill will now go before Governor Greg Abbott who can sign it into state law, though even if this happens the change wouldn't actually take effect without changes to superseding federal legislation. Newsweek contacted Governor Abbott for comment via email on Friday outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters The current twice-yearly clock changes across the U.S. are controversial and in April President Trump gave his support to a bill that would have introduced year-round daylight-saving time. The U.S. did introduce year-round daylight saving in the early 1970s following an energy crisis but this was swiftly abandoned amid public anger at going to work, and sending children to school, in the dark. What To Know Texas House Bill 1393 was passed by the Texas Senate on Thursday with 27 votes in favor and four against according to Dallas News reporter Phil Jankowski. The bill would introduce a new statewide "Texas time," making daylight saving permanent across Texas, but only "if the United States Congress enacts legislation that becomes law that authorizes the State of Texas to observe daylight saving time year-round." This would apply across the state, both to the vast majority of Texas which currently falls under the Central Time Zone and the far western section which is part of the Mountain Time Zone. Texas Senator Ted Cruz called for biannual time changes to be ended in April during a committee appearance. A stock photo shows the Texas state flag at River Oaks Country Club in Houston on April 5, 2024. A stock photo shows the Texas state flag at River Oaks Country Club in Houston on April 5, 2024. Aaron M. Sprecher/GETTY Currently 20 states have passed laws that would abolish clock changes if they are given permission to do so by the federal government. Clock changes became a standard feature across the U.S. with the passage of the Uniform Time Act in 1966, though Hawaii and most of Arizona are exempt from observing daylight saving time. In 2022 the Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would have made daylight saving time permanent, but this stalled in the House. In a post on his Truth Social website in December 2024 then-president elect Trump said: "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." What Time Zones Does Texas Have? Most of Texas, including the major cities of Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, are currently part of the Central Time Zone. However the western counties of El Paso and Hudspeth form part of the Mountain Time Zone. What People Are Saying Texas House Bill 1393 says: "This state, acting as authorized under federal law, shall observe daylight saving time year-round. This subsection applies to both the portion of this state using central standard time as the official standard time and the portion of this state using mountain standard time as the official standard time." Senator Paul Bettencourt, a Republican who sponsored the bill, said according to The Texas Tribune: "This is effectively a trigger bill waiting for change with the federal government." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether Governor Abbott will sign House Bill 1393 into Texas law. Even if he does, its provisions won't take effect without changes to federal legislation.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opinion - Congress should put us on year-round standard time, not DST
Most Americans hate seasonal clock changes. But it matters how we abolish them. Sen. Todd Young's (R-Ind.) 'Make America Rested Again' amendment, which would put the U.S. on permanent standard time, was proposed during Senate Commerce Committee review of the deceptively named Sunshine Protection Act. The amendment aims to abolish the annual switches to and from daylight saving time, in order to improve Americans' health. The Sunshine Protection Act, first proposed by then-Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in 2018 and earlier this year by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), would do the opposite, putting the U.S. on permanent daylight saving time. That bill passed the Senate in 2022 in an unannounced unanimous consent vote, but some senators said afterward that they didn't realize what they were voting for. The bill died that year in the House, whose Energy and Commerce Committee had just heard testimony from Vanderbilt University neurologist and sleep specialist Beth Malow about the potential harms of permanent daylight saving time, including increased risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Newer studies also show misaligned clocks are associated with a higher risk of motor vehicle crashes, depression and suicide. Daylight saving time forces us to start the day an hour earlier to go to work and school. It also creates a misalignment between our body clocks, which align with the sun, and our social schedules. Daylight saving time's harmful effects would be exponentially worse in the short days of winter, when it would cause months of sunrises after 8 a.m. At a recent Senate committee hearing, Jay Karen, representing the National Golf Course Owners Association, suggested that the earlier sunsets of standard time might reduce revenue from golfing and other outdoor recreational activities. But standard time does not shorten the number of summer daylight hours. Golfing continues to flourish in states that already follow permanent standard time, including Arizona and Hawaii. If we were to adopt standard time year-round, workers' increased productivity would drive a stronger economy and generate increased income for workers' vacations and recreational activities. Children would not have to go to school in the dark throughout the winter months. Most states that passed bills calling for permanent daylight saving time in the last few years saw it as the quickest way to end bi-annual clock changes. Some legislators were misled by false promises of alleged health benefits and energy cost savings. Since recent efforts at the state level to address these misconceptions, only one bill calling for permanent daylight saving time has passed in the last two years. More state bills now call for standard time year-round. Public opinion in favor of standard time is growing. A recent Gallup poll found 48 percent of Americans favor standard time, whereas only 24 percent prefer permanent daylight saving time. More than seven in 10 Americans would like to end bi-annual clock changes. The U.S. has tried permanent daylight saving time twice before, during World War II and in 1974. It quickly became unpopular and was reversed. Other counties have had similar experiences. Legislators in Paraguay are currently seeking to end the country's experiment with permanent daylight time. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other health organizations back permanent standard time. That would bring our inner clocks more in line with sun time, with the sun overhead at noon. Permanent ST would foster improved sleep, workplace productivity, academic performance, driving safety, and mental and physical health. It would also reduce health care and utility bills. The Senate Commerce Committee did not discuss Sen. Young's proposal to establish permanent standard time. It voted instead on an amendment of the Sunshine Protection Act by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) asking for a start date of 2027 to give states time to decide whether they want permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time. After the bill goes into effect, states would not be allowed to change to permanent standard time, even if permanent daylight time is unpopular, as history predicts. The 16-12 vote in favor of this amendment did not advance because many of the votes were proxy votes, and 15 in-person Aye votes were required. The close count is a big change from the unanimous support of the bill in 2022. Even Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who supported the measure, expressed concerns. The vote was not partisan. Senators from states with the latest sunrise times were most likely to vote against it. The close vote and expressed concerns signal an unlikely road for it to pass the full House and Senate. Everyone who wants to end clock changes should get behind permanent standard time — the science-supported, history-tested, naturally healthy way to ditch the bi-annual switch. Karin Johnson, MD, is a professor of neurology and a sleep medicine specialist. She is the co-chair of the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time and vice-president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Save Standard Time and creator and host of its educational video series, 'The Science of Clock Change.' Jay Pea is a former software engineer and the president of Save Standard Time. Lynne Lamberg is a medical journalist and editor who writes frequently on sleep, biological clocks, and mental health. She is the book editor of the National Association of Science Writers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Congress should put us on year-round standard time, not DST
Most Americans hate seasonal clock changes. But it matters how we abolish them. Sen. Todd Young's (R-Ind.) 'Make America Rested Again' amendment, which would put the U.S. on permanent standard time, was proposed during Senate Commerce Committee review of the deceptively named Sunshine Protection Act. The amendment aims to abolish the annual switches to and from daylight saving time, in order to improve Americans' health. The Sunshine Protection Act, first proposed by then-Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in 2018 and earlier this year by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), would do the opposite, putting the U.S. on permanent daylight saving time. That bill passed the Senate in 2022 in an unannounced unanimous consent vote, but some senators said afterward that they didn't realize what they were voting for. The bill died that year in the House, whose Energy and Commerce Committee had just heard testimony from Vanderbilt University neurologist and sleep specialist Beth Malow about the potential harms of permanent daylight saving time, including increased risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Newer studies also show misaligned clocks are associated with a higher risk of motor vehicle crashes, depression and suicide. Daylight saving time forces us to start the day an hour earlier to go to work and school. It also creates a misalignment between our body clocks, which align with the sun, and our social schedules. Daylight saving time's harmful effects would be exponentially worse in the short days of winter, when it would cause months of sunrises after 8 a.m. At a recent Senate committee hearing, Jay Karen, representing the National Golf Course Owners Association, suggested that the earlier sunsets of standard time might reduce revenue from golfing and other outdoor recreational activities. But standard time does not shorten the number of summer daylight hours. Golfing continues to flourish in states that already follow permanent standard time, including Arizona and Hawaii. If we were to adopt standard time year-round, workers' increased productivity would drive a stronger economy and generate increased income for workers' vacations and recreational activities. Children would not have to go to school in the dark throughout the winter months. Most states that passed bills calling for permanent daylight saving time in the last few years saw it as the quickest way to end bi-annual clock changes. Some legislators were misled by false promises of alleged health benefits and energy cost savings. Since recent efforts at the state level to address these misconceptions, only one bill calling for permanent daylight saving time has passed in the last two years. More state bills now call for standard time year-round. Public opinion in favor of standard time is growing. A recent Gallup poll found 48 percent of Americans favor standard time, whereas only 24 percent prefer permanent daylight saving time. More than seven in 10 Americans would like to end bi-annual clock changes. The U.S. has tried permanent daylight saving time twice before, during World War II and in 1974. It quickly became unpopular and was reversed. Other counties have had similar experiences. Legislators in Paraguay are currently seeking to end the country's experiment with permanent daylight time. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other health organizations back permanent standard time. That would bring our inner clocks more in line with sun time, with the sun overhead at noon. Permanent ST would foster improved sleep, workplace productivity, academic performance, driving safety, and mental and physical health. It would also reduce health care and utility bills. The Senate Commerce Committee did not discuss Sen. Young's proposal to establish permanent standard time. It voted instead on an amendment of the Sunshine Protection Act by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) asking for a start date of 2027 to give states time to decide whether they want permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time. After the bill goes into effect, states would not be allowed to change to permanent standard time, even if permanent daylight time is unpopular, as history predicts. The 16-12 vote in favor of this amendment did not advance because many of the votes were proxy votes, and 15 in-person Aye votes were required. The close count is a big change from the unanimous support of the bill in 2022. Even Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who supported the measure, expressed concerns. The vote was not partisan. Senators from states with the latest sunrise times were most likely to vote against it. The close vote and expressed concerns signal an unlikely road for it to pass the full House and Senate. Everyone who wants to end clock changes should get behind permanent standard time — the science-supported, history-tested, naturally healthy way to ditch the bi-annual switch. Karin Johnson, MD, is a professor of neurology and a sleep medicine specialist. She is the co-chair of the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time and vice-president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Save Standard Time and creator and host of its educational video series, 'The Science of Clock Change.' Jay Pea is a former software engineer and the president of Save Standard Time. Lynne Lamberg is a medical journalist and editor who writes frequently on sleep, biological clocks, and mental health. She is the book editor of the National Association of Science Writers.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As lawmakers call for year-round daylight saving time, could Ohio ‘lock the clock'?
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Federal lawmakers and President Donald Trump are reviving calls to 'lock the clock' and observe daylight saving time permanently, an effort that previously gained traction at the Ohio Statehouse. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) gathered the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on April 10 for a hearing to examine whether the U.S. should abandon the biannual tradition of 'springing forward' in March and 'falling back' in November. Cruz argued during the hearing, titled 'If I Could Turn Back Time: Should We Lock the Clock,' that changing clocks has 'a very real impact on Americans' businesses, health and happiness.' 'This hearing is an excellent opportunity to examine a thoughtful and rational approach to how we manage time,' Cruz said during his opening remarks. 'Whether we lock the clock on standard time year-round or daylight saving time, let's put our health, the economy, and well-being first and embrace a sensible approach to time management.' What yes or no vote really means for Ohio Issue 2 in May election The effort garnered the attention of Trump, who took to social media the day after the hearing to express his support for ending the biannual tradition. The president's comment came after he called it 'a 50/50 issue' in March, saying 'it's hard to get excited about it.' 'The House and Senate should push hard for more daylight at the end of a day,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on April 11. 'Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, a very costly event.' Cruz's hearing came after Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation earlier this year to keep time permanently 'forward,' meaning clocks would not be set back in November. Named the 'Sunshine Protection Act,' the bill's passage would mean later sunsets in the winter but also later sunrises. For example, the sun rises around 7:15 a.m. and sets around 4:30 p.m. on the first day of winter in New York. The act would change sunrise to 8:15 a.m. and sunset to 5:30 p.m. 'My bipartisan, bicameral Sunshine Protection Act, it will end the twice-year time change and make Daylight Saving Time the national year-round standard,' Scott said during the hearing. 'It's an understatement to say that our nation has changed since the United States began changing the clock over a century ago. … Now, changing the clock twice a year proves more of an annoyance to families than a benefit to them. Ohio budget plan renews possibility of high-speed rail Scott noted that when he was Florida governor, he signed legislation to allow the state to opt out of the biannual time change and remain on daylight saving year-round. However, adoption of that bill depends on federal approval, which is why Scott has routinely advocated for the effort nationwide. The same can be said in Ohio. While the Buckeye State is among more than two dozen states that have previously pushed to observe daylight saving permanently, the state's effort is curtailed until federal law changes. Under the Uniform Time Act of 1966, states can change to standard time but not daylight saving, which requires a change to federal law to transition to perpetual daylight saving. Ohio's House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill in December 2023 to urge the U.S. Congress to pass a previous version of the Sunshine Protection Act. The measure was under consideration in Ohio's Senate, but only received one hearing last June and never passed out of the General Government Committee. Reps. Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria) and Bob Peterson (R-Sabina), the bill's primary sponsors, also argued the U.S. no longer needs to change clocks, pointing to studies that say moving clocks in the spring and fall causes a number of work, school, safety and sleep-related issues. Provision would restrict how Ohioans spend SNAP benefits 'Continuing to change the time results in a higher number of cardiac issues and strokes and prolonged seasonal depression,' Creech said. 'A recent study revealed that sleep loss, even for as little as one hour, can decrease a child's quality of life, showing significant negative impacts on the children's physical well-being as well as their ability to cope with the school environment.' Jay Pea, president of the nonprofit Save Standard Time, has long said in previous hearings that permanent daylight saving would delay Ohio's sunrise past 8 a.m. for more than four months, sometimes as late as 9:06 a.m., and noted Ohio rejected an effort in 1974 to enact daylight saving permanently. Rather, Pea advocates for extending standard time to the entire year. 'Permanent standard time would protect start times for schoolchildren and essential workers by letting most sleep naturally past dawn year-round. Its benefits to circadian health would improve immunity, longevity, mood, alertness, and performance in school, sports, and work,' Pea said. 'Standard time is the natural clock, set to the sun.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Rick Scott has the right idea. It's time for permanent daylight saving time
Last week, a U.S. Senate committee held a hearing on the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would making daylight saving time permanent. It's an issue we've been debating in this country for years: In 2022, the Senate unanimously passed similar legislation from Sen. Rick Scott, but it later died in the House. This latest hearing signals renewed interest in ending the twice-yearly clock change. I agree — it's time to lock the clock. Every March and November, we find ourselves either springing ahead — and losing an hour of sleep — or falling back and enjoying that extra hour. If you have children or pets, you know the chaos that ensues with the time change. Bedtime schedules are upended, and pets demand meals at off-times. In 2018, the Florida Legislature passed legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, and Scott, who was governor at the time, signed it into law. More sunshine in the Sunshine State — it was a win. But it didn't actually happen; the change needs federal approval. When Secretary of State Marco Rubio was serving in the U.S. Senate, he introduced the Sunshine Preservation Act in 2018, and in 2019, and then reintroduced it with co-sponsors in 2021 and 2023. In a joint opinion piece published in 2021, on Rubio and Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, wrote that they had 'bispartisan solution' for the debate: 'Let's lock the clock and let our kids and families enjoy more sunshine year-round.' Fast forward to January 2025, when Scott introduced the act again, saying it 'would end the twice-yearly time change and make daylight saving time the national year-round standard.' Seven Democrats joined him supporting the act, including Sen. Alex Padilla from California, where the state has already voted to the lock the clock. During April 10 hearing by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation — titled 'If I Could Turn Back Time: Should We Lock the Clock?' — Scott continued to make his case, saying, 'the American people are sick and tired of changing their clocks twice a year — it's unnecessary, confusing and completely outdated.' There are potential downsides to the idea. Critics argue that permanent daylight saving time would lead to darker mornings, disruption in our circadian rhythm and have negative effects on public health. And, as the Miami Herald noted in an editorial in December, when the U.S. made daylight saving time permanent in 1974, the outcry over the ensuing morning darkness led to a reversal after just 10 months. These concerns have merit. The delay in winter sunrises, particularly in northern states, could impact schoolchildren, commuters and shift workers who start their day in the dark. But the real problem is changing the clocks. The abrupt time shift causes a change in our sleep, increases risk of heart attacks and strokes, and a higher number of car accidents., according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Most Americans support ending clock changes. In a recent study by the Center for Public Opinion Research at Stetson University 75% of Americans supported the idea to stop changing the clocks twice a year and 54% of Americans favored year-round daylight saving time. Nearly 20 states have passed bills to keep daylight saving time permanent. They're just waiting for congressional approval. Last week's the Senate committee is a step in the right direction. Here in Florida, the economic benefits can't be overlooked. By locking the clocks to daylight saving time, Floridians would enjoy more daylight hours, which could offer a boost to retail shopping and restaurants as people stay out later and spend more. Tourists would be able to spend more time enjoying outdoor activities rather than retreating to their hotel rooms when the sun sets early. Longer days are also good for the environment. More natural light in the evening hours means less electricity consumption for lighting, potentially reducing our carbon footprint. The 'lock the clock' effort has bipartisan support. Republicans and Democrats may not be able to agree on much these days but they've found one issue: permanent daylight saving time. Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@
