Nineteen US states have passed the Sunshine Protection Act to institute permanent daylight saving time. The act aims to eliminate the biannual clock change across the United States.
But legislation in individual states cannot change the time zones. As per the Uniform Time Act of 1966, US states are allowed to maintain their time as standard time all year long like Arizona and Hawaii but not as daylight saving time throughout the year without federal consent.
US House voted 308-117 on the Sunshine Protection Act (H.R. 139) to remove this hurdle of changing the clock twice, but the bill is still awaiting Senate action.
To know more about the states that agreed to pass legislation regarding permanent daylight saving time and states that are continuing with biannual clocks, read hereon.
Which US States Have Passed Permanent Daylight Saving Time Laws?
Florida became the very first state to pass a resolution for year round daylight saving time in 2018. 18 US States since then have enacted similar laws, resolutions, or trigger clauses as mentioned in the table below:
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Region
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States that Passed Legislation or Trigger Bills for Daylight Saving Time
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South
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Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee
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West and Mountain
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Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington
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Midwest and East
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Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky
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While these 19 states have official legislation on the books, all of their laws contain contingent clauses. They cannot take effect until the federal government updates national time zone regulations.
What is Delaying State Permanent Daylight Saving Time Approval?
The major obstacle is the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which is a federal legislation that sets the guidelines on the standard time zones and the procedures through which states conduct seasonal adjustments.
The Exception Clause on Standard Time
Under the federal law, states can exempt themselves from observing daylight savings time to observe the standard time throughout the year. Such states include Arizona, Hawaii, and other territories in the United States.
The Restriction of DST
The act prohibits individual states from implementing their own year-round DST.
Interdependence Among States
There are several state legislations, including those from Delaware and Oregon, that prohibit time changes until the neighboring states adopt similar legislations.
Current Status of the Sunshine Protection Act
Federal lawmakers have consistently introduced the Sunshine Protection Act to lift the prohibition on year-round daylight saving time. H.R. 139 was introduced by Representative Vern Buchanan to make daylight saving time the permanent norm.
Although this bill passed through the House of Representatives, it still needs to pass the Senate and be signed into federal law by the President. Prior to any legislation passing from Congress, current time laws will stay in place throughout the United States.