Senate Faces Shrinking Window To Pass Permanent Daylight Savings Time Before November Clock Change

The U.S. Senate has yet to schedule a vote on the Sunshine Protection Act, which would impact permanent daylight savings time, leaving Americans in uncertainty about whether clocks will change on November 1.

The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July by a bipartisan 308-117 vote, a significant show of support for ending the twice-yearly clock changes.

The legislation would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, eliminating the seasonal adjustments that most Americans have observed for decades.

Despite clearing the House, the bill still requires Senate approval before it can be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.

The Senate is expected to return to regular legislative business on September 14 following its summer state work period, but daylight saving time is not currently listed on the chamber’s announced schedule.

That leaves a narrowing window for lawmakers to act before the November 1 clock change, when most Americans are scheduled to turn their clocks back one hour.

President Donald Trump renewed his push for the proposal in August, urging Republican senators to pass the bill “ASAP” and writing that Americans are “sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year.”

Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida, the House sponsor of the legislation, celebrated its passage and declared, “It’s time to lock the clock and make daylight saving time permanent,” urging the Senate to send the bill to the president’s desk.

Opposition within the Senate, however, remains a significant obstacle to swift passage of the legislation.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune recently acknowledged there is significant disagreement among senators, noting there are members “some for, some against,” with critics warning that permanent daylight saving time could produce very dark winter mornings in parts of the country.

Unless Senate leaders move to prioritize the bill ahead of a packed fall legislative agenda, Americans should plan to set their clocks back on the morning of Sunday, November 1.

Connected devices such as smartphones will update automatically, while many manual clocks will need to be adjusted by hand if Congress fails to act in time.

If the Senate does approve the Sunshine Protection Act and Trump signs it into law, the twice-yearly clock changes would end permanently for most Americans.