HR139-119

What This Bill Does

The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 makes daylight saving time permanent across the United States by repealing the twice-yearly clock change. It eliminates the "spring forward" and "fall back" transitions by amending federal time laws so that what we currently call "daylight saving time" becomes the new year-round standard time.

Who Benefits and How

The general public benefits from ending the disruptive biannual time changes, which have been linked to sleep disruption, health issues, and increased accidents. Retail businesses, restaurants, and the tourism industry may benefit from more evening daylight hours during winter months, potentially increasing consumer activity and outdoor recreation. States that have already opted out of daylight saving time (like Arizona and Hawaii) retain flexibility to choose whether to adopt the new standard or maintain their current time.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Morning-oriented sectors such as school districts and agricultural operations may face challenges with darker mornings during winter months. Broadcasters, airlines, and technology companies will need to update scheduling systems and software. There is no direct taxpayer cost, as this is a regulatory change rather than a spending bill.

Key Provisions

• Repeals Section 3 of the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which currently requires the biannual time change
• Shifts all U.S. time zones forward by one hour permanently (e.g., Eastern Standard Time becomes what is currently Eastern Daylight Time year-round)
• Allows states that previously exempted themselves from daylight saving time to choose whether to adopt the new standard or maintain their pre-existing time
• Amends the Calder Act of 1918 to establish the new permanent time offsets for each time zone