Permanent Daylight Saving Time?

Clock turned back (photo by Kate St. John)
Clock turned back (photo by Kate St. John)

5 November 2022

When we turn our clocks back tonight it may be the last time we’ll have to do it in the U.S. And then again, it might not be.

Our current DST law sets Daylight Saving Time for the entire U.S. and allows states and territories to opt out of it (stay on Standard Time). Those who have include most of Arizona, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

However the current law does not allow states to stay on Daylight Saving Time year-round even though Florida, Washington, California, and Oregon legislatures have all passed bills to make it permanent and 22 other states are considering it.

So in 2018 House and Senate reps from Florida introduced the Sunshine Protection Act.

On March 15, 2022, the US Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act. The bill proposes—beginning in November 2023—that all states go on permanent DST, which is one hour later than standard time. States that have passed legislation for permanent DST will be allowed to enact their legislation. [It also allows states and territories that never switch to DST to stay on Standard Time as they do today. ]

timeanddate.com: Daylight Saving Time Ends in USA & Canada 2022

But permanent DST is just a gleam in the eye of those who want it. It hasn’t passed the House.

Thus countries that border the U.S. have the usual dilemma. Southern Canadian provinces have so far stayed in synch with U.S. time zones. Meanwhile Mexico abolished Daylight Saving Time on 26 October 2022 (last month!) but allows northern border locations to stay in synch with the U.S.

Will we have Permanent Daylight Saving Time? Who knows. It’s more likely we’ll have Permanent Confusion.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back tonight. 🙂

(photo by Kate St. John)

p.s. Here are some reasons why permanent DST would be darker than Standard Time: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2015/11/19/9762276/daylight-saving-time-bad-mapped

p.p.s. This study indicates that there would be fewer deer-vehicle collisions if we stayed on permanent DST.

2 thoughts on “Permanent Daylight Saving Time?

  1. If we’re going to make a change, I prefer permanent standard time. Who wants to be in the dark until 9AM in January?

  2. I think it should all be the same, it’s confusing for everyone so I agree with Candace, stay on standard time throughout the whole country. (I guess it depends on whether you are a morning dog walker or an evening dog walker :))

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