US Senate approves Bill to make daylight saving time permanent

WASHINGTON • The US Senate has passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent from next year, ending the twice-annual changing of clocks in a move promoted by supporters advocating brighter afternoons and more economic activity.

The Senate approved the measure, called the Sunshine Protection Act, unanimously by voice vote on Tuesday. The House of Representatives, which has held a committee hearing on the matter, must still pass the Bill before it can go to President Joe Biden to sign.

The White House has not said whether Mr Biden supports it. A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to say if she supports the measure but said she was reviewing it closely.

Senator Marco Rubio, one of the Bill's sponsors, said supporters agreed that the change would not take place until November next year after input from airlines and broadcasters.

The change would help enable children to play outdoors later and reduce seasonal depression, according to supporters.

"I know this is not the most important issue confronting America, but it's one of those issues where there's a lot of agreement," Mr Rubio said.

On Sunday, most of the US resumed daylight saving time, moving ahead one hour. The US will resume standard time in November.

Since 2015, about 30 states have introduced legislation to end the twice-yearly changing of clocks, with some states proposing to do it only if neighbouring states do so.

The House Energy and Commerce committee held a hearing on the issue last week. Committee chairman Frank Pallone supports ending the clock-switching but has not decided whether to opt for daylight or standard time as the permanent choice.

At the hearing, Dr Beth Malow, director of the Vanderbilt Sleep Division, argued that daylight savings time makes it harder to be alert in the morning, saying it "is like living in the wrong time zone for almost eight months out of the year".

Mr Pallone cited a 2019 poll that found 71 per cent of Americans prefer to no longer switch their clocks twice a year.

Supporters say the change could prevent a slight uptick in car crashes that typically occurs around the time changes and point to studies showing a small increase in the rate of heart attacks and strokes soon after the time change. They argue that the measure could help businesses such as golf courses that could draw more use with more evening daylight.

The Bill would allow Arizona and Hawaii, which do not observe daylight saving time, to remain on standard time, as well as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

REUTERS