The upcoming switch to standard time on November 2, 2025, marks another cycle of clock adjustments across the United States. Despite previous legislative efforts aimed at abolishing this practice, the nation remains in a pattern of biannual time changes. Medical professionals have raised concerns about the health implications of these shifts, with studies indicating potential links to increased rates of stroke and obesity.
Research from the Stanford School of Medicine highlights the adverse effects of changing the clocks twice a year. The findings suggest that maintaining a consistent time throughout the year could be beneficial for public health. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has advocated for eliminating seasonal time changes in favor of permanent standard time, which aligns more closely with human circadian rhythms.
Legislative Attempts to Abolish Time Changes
The most recent legislative effort, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, aimed to make daylight saving time permanent. Had it passed, the law would have taken effect on the same date and would have kept the country on daylight saving time year-round. The Senate approved the bill in March 2022, but it ultimately did not gain traction in the House of Representatives. Without a vote from the House and the president’s signature, the proposal could not become law.
Despite public support for eliminating the clock changes, there remains no consensus among lawmakers regarding whether to keep daylight saving time or standard time as a permanent option. According to The Hill, while many citizens favor abolishing the time changes, the issue has not been prioritized in Congress.
State-Level Decisions and Current Practices
While federal law does not currently permit states to adopt permanent daylight saving time, states can choose to remain on standard time year-round, which is the case for Hawaii and most of Arizona. A total of 19 states have passed laws allowing for a switch to permanent daylight saving time if federal regulations change. These states include Florida, Texas, Georgia, and others, as noted by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Attempts to join this list have been made by states such as Kentucky and Ohio, where legislation advanced but ultimately stalled. In California, voters approved a law to eliminate the time changes, yet it has not been enacted.
Under the current federal law, established in 1966, states can opt out of daylight saving time, as seen in Hawaii and Arizona. However, there is no provision allowing states to permanently adopt daylight saving time or to set their own clock-changing dates.
For those who wish to avoid the hassle of biannual time adjustments altogether, relocating to territories that do not observe daylight saving time, such as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, remains an option.
