Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and a group of bipartisan colleagues have introduced the Sunshine Protection Act, a proposal to end the twice-yearly time change and make Daylight Saving Time (DST) the national year-round standard.
“The American people are tired of the antiquated practice of ‘falling back’ every year. Alabamians want more sunshine, and it’s better for our mental and physical health. With the Sunshine Protection Act, we would make daylight savings time permanent. I appreciate Senator Rick Scott’s leadership in working to ‘lock the clock,’” said Senator Britt in support of the bill.
The Sunshine Protection Act aims to end the biannual shift between standard time and Daylight Saving Time, a practice that has been in place for decades. Proponents argue that eliminating the time change would benefit families by providing more sunlight during the evening hours, which could have positive effects on health and well-being.
Senator Scott, who has long advocated for ending the time change, emphasized the frustration expressed by many Americans. “I hear from Americans constantly that they are sick and tired of changing their clocks twice a year – it’s an unnecessary, decades-old practice that’s more of an annoyance to families than benefit to them,” Scott stated. “In 2018, as Governor of Florida, I signed legislation that would allow the state to opt out of the practice of changing the time, and I’ve been a leading effort in getting this done on the federal level.”
The bill is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of Senators, including Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Ed Markey (D-Wash.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.).
If passed, the Sunshine Protection Act would change U.S. policy to keep Daylight Saving Time year-round, with advocates hoping that the change would improve quality of life, reduce the negative effects of time shifts, and provide more opportunities for outdoor activities in the evening.