Summer time: When and why we still use summer time
The United States introduced daylight saving time in 1918, following efforts by Germany and Great Britain to save energy during World War I.
Scott L. Hall, USA TODAY
Florida has been trying for years to get Congress to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow the state to keep daylight saving time year-round.
That would mean Floridians wouldn’t have to change their clocks twice a year, that “spring forward, fall back” routine that completely disrupts their sleep patterns.
Only two states, Hawaii and most of Arizona, do not observe daylight saving time. Instead, they observe standard time year-round. How do they avoid changing the clocks twice a year?
Maintaining standard time can be regulated by state law, but maintaining daylight saving time requires congressional approval. This has not happened in Florida and many other states seeking the same approval, despite repeated attempts in recent years.
Here is an explanation.
When does daylight saving time end? When is the next time change?
We currently observe daylight saving time, which ends on November 3, 2024 at 2 a.m. At that time, most parts of the United States will return to standard time.
Daylight saving time will be reintroduced on March 9, 2025.
Countdown to the end of daylight saving time in 2024
Congress determines the beginning and end of daylight saving time
According to the US Naval Observatory, daylight saving time in the United States has begun on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday in November since 2007.
On the second Sunday in March, clocks go forward one hour at 2 a.m. local time, after which local daylight saving time falls to 3 a.m.
On the first Sunday in November, at 2 a.m. local time, the clocks go back one hour to daylight saving time, after which the time goes back to 1 a.m. local time.
The dates were set by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
Marco Rubio of Florida wants to permanently introduce daylight saving time under the Sunshine Protection Act
The Sunshine Protection Act would extend daylight saving time from eight months to year-round.
The bill was first introduced in 2018 by Senator Marco Rubio, Republican from Florida and Rep. Vern Buchanan, Florida District 16, for the 115th Congress. It has been introduced in every Congress since then to change the “outdated tradition” of changing the time, Rubio said in a November press release.
- 2018: 115th Congress
- 2019: 116th Congress
- 2021: 117th Congress
- 2023: 118th Congress
What is the difference between permanently adopting daylight saving time and permanently adopting standard time?
Daylight saving time would mean later sunrises and sunsets, leaving more time for outdoor activities after work or in the evening.
Standard time would mean earlier sunrises and sunsets, which Business Insider says would increase schoolchildren’s safety in the morning and be more in line with our biological circadian rhythm.
Can a country abolish daylight saving time and stick with standard time year-round?
Yes.
“Daylight Saving Time (DST) compliance is a state-specific matter, so a state may opt out by enacting a state law,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said in an email.
“The government would simply have to inform the Department of Transportation – and the rest of the world – that daylight saving time will no longer be observed if that is the decision.”
Can a state keep daylight saving time all year round?
Yes and no.
A state that observes daylight saving time (that is, any state except Hawaii and most of Arizona) is required by law to observe the dates set forth in U.S. Code 15 USC 260a, which sets daylight saving time from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
“For a state to maintain daylight saving time year-round, Congress would have to approve an amendment to the Uniform Time Act,” the Department of Transportation said. “Under current federal law, a state cannot maintain daylight saving time permanently.”
How many states want to stick with daylight saving time permanently?
So far, 28 states have passed laws or resolutions to implement daylight saving time year-round without changing the clocks twice a year: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, FloridaGeorgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Are there any states that want to stick with standard time all year round?
According to Forbes, several states are working on laws to permanently adopt standard time: Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vermont.
Tell us what you think about the time change
Should we stop changing the clocks twice a year? And if so, when should we choose to do so? Let us know your preferences.
How many countries in the world use daylight saving time or standard time?
According to TimeandDate.com, over 60% of the world’s countries use standard time all year round.
In the remaining countries, daylight saving time applies during the summer months, but how long standard time is maintained varies.
