Could daylight saving time become permanent? Where things stand

The old saying “Spring forward, Fall back” may be riding into the sunset soon. And that sunset may come later in the day if a new bill in Congress has anything to say about it.

The House recently passed a new bill called the Sunshine Protection Act with the end goal of making daylight saving time permanent — and bringing about an end to changing the clocks twice a year.

The bill has bipartisan support, passing in the House by a vote of 308-117, and is being pushed heavily by President Donald Trump. In a Truth Social post in August, the president wrote, “This is an issue that Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can unite behind.” He also said in a post earlier this year that changing the clocks twice a year is “very costly” for the government.

The bill is currently awaiting action from the Senate, which is in recess until Sept. 21, and lawmakers seem divided on whether the bill will be passed in time to take effect this year.

But what would a world with permanent daylight saving time look like?

For starters, we’d see more winter days with sunsets after 5 p.m., which may come as a welcome reprieve for many people hoping to get a little vitamin D at the end of their day during the long, cold months. Many cities across the lower 48 states would see sunsets after 6 p.m.

But as the sun giveth, the sun must also taketh away. This would come in the form of more days with sunrises after 7 a.m., and some cities would see sunrises as late as 9 a.m. Some senators are citing this as a point of concern, with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, claiming this will “make winter a dark and dismal time for millions of Americans.” Other senators have expressed safety concerns for commuters, farmers, and students waiting for the school bus in the dark.

As it stands, time is running out for the Sunshine Protection Act to see the light of day in the Senate before Americans set the clock back on Nov. 1, and it doesn’t appear that the sun is setting on daylight just yet.