(NEXSTAR) – Daylight saving time has officially begun, which means the clocks not connected to the internet in your home are likely now an hour behind that of your phone or smart watch. It also means the sun will rise and set later than it has been, making days feel longer (even though they aren’t).
For the next eight months, our clocks will remain in this later-sunset-favoring position, except in the two states that do not change their clocks. Despite disagreement from health experts, several state and federal lawmakers are hoping this is the last time we reset our clocks.
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Here’s a look at where efforts to end the bi-annual practice stand as of early March.
Five bills remain in Congress
There are two bills in Congress, House and Senate versions of the Sunshine Protection Act, that would make daylight saving time permanent in the U.S. The Senate tried to fast-track its version last year, only for the effort to be thwarted. Both bills remain in committees as of early March.
Another recently introduced bill, the Daylight Act of 2026, would make half-daylight saving time permanent. Under this legislation, our clocks would jump forward a half-hour, instead of a whole hour, and lock there. It was referred to committee.
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Two bills in the House would give states the option to observe year-round daylight saving time. States can currently opt for year-round standard time. These, too, remain in committee.
Several states consider locking the clocks
In roughly a dozen states, lawmakers have introduced legislation to end the time change in recent months. In some cases, bills are rolling over from the previous legislative session.
This state-level legislation is about evenly split between permanent daylight saving time and permanent standard time, though they all mostly remain in committees.
A bill introduced in Virginia in January has seemingly been the most successful. Senate Bill 541, which calls for year-round standard time, if Maryland and the District of Columbia do the same, passed through its originating chamber and reached the House late last month. It has since been referred to comittee.
19 states have voted for permanent daylight saving time
While many states have pending bills related to the seasonal time change, 19 have enacted legislation and now await federal approval to lock their clocks.
These states – Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming – are ready to observe daylight saving time year-round. For some, they required other states to enact similar legislation. With that complete, they now need Congress to act.
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Bills that would let this happen, however, remain in committee.
It’s too soon to say whether Congress will pass any of the bills that have been introduced, or whether any additional state-level laws will be enacted.
Without any wide-sweeping action, our clocks will fall back an hour on November 1 – the earliest possible date for daylight saving time to end.
