Pass the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025

This federal bill makes daylight saving time the new permanent standard time across the United States. States with existing exemptions, such as Arizona and Hawaii, may choose their own standard time offset, but the central goal is to eliminate the disruptive semi-annual clock change that affects over 300 million Americans. The legislation builds on the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act that passed the Senate unanimously in March 2022 but stalled in the House. Proponents argue that the twice-yearly time switch leads to measurable increases in car accidents, workplace injuries, and heart attacks in the days following each transition. Studies from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine have documented a 6% spike in fatal traffic collisions in the week after the spring-forward change. The bill would lock clocks forward permanently, giving most of the country an extra hour of evening daylight year-round. Supporters in the tourism, recreation, and retail industries estimate the extended evening light could generate billions in additional consumer spending annually, as people tend to shop and dine out more when it is still light after work. Critics, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, counter that permanent standard time would be healthier because it better aligns with the body’s circadian rhythm, and that dark winter mornings under permanent DST could pose safety risks for children walking to school. The bill includes a 12-month implementation runway so that airlines, broadcasters, and software systems have time to adjust scheduling infrastructure. Rep. Buchanan, who represents Florida’s Gulf Coast, notes that his state already passed a resolution in favor of year-round DST and is simply waiting for federal authorization to act.