Several outlets have reported that The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 48-1 in favor of the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time the permanent standard time across the United States as part of a larger five-year transportation bill. The effort has gained renewed momentum due to strong support from President Donald Trump, who highlighted the significant costs associated with biannual clock changes and described the legislation as an “easy” win for the Republican Party that would provide longer, brighter days. Trump has previously criticized the clock adjustments and is now pushing hard for the bill’s passage.

Similar measures have advanced before without success, including a unanimous Senate approval in 2022 that ultimately stalled. Over the past seven years, 18 states have passed supportive legislation or resolutions for year-round daylight saving time, with at least 31 states considering related bills in 2025. However, none of these state actions can take effect without federal legislation repealing current law. Under existing rules, states may opt out of daylight saving time to stay on standard time (as Arizona and Hawaii do), but they cannot remain on daylight time year-round.

Daylight saving time originated during World War I in Germany and was first adopted in the U.S. via the 1918 Standard Time Act to conserve energy, also establishing the country’s five time zones. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 standardized the practice nationwide, with later adjustments including a 2005 extension under President George W. Bush. The U.S. has briefly implemented year-round daylight saving time twice—during World War II and as a 1974 trial during an energy crisis—primarily for fuel conservation purposes.