Permanent Daylight Saving Time Legislation Faces Hurdles in Congress

The Sunshine Protection Act, a measure to make daylight saving time permanent, passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a 308-117 vote on Tuesday (July 14). While the bill seeks to eliminate the twice-yearly clock change, it currently faces an uncertain path in the Senate and opposition from various groups, including Orthodox Jewish organizations and health advocates concerned about the impact of later winter sunrises.

Legislative Status of the Sunshine Protection Act

The proposal to lock the clock has garnered political support, most notably from Donald Trump, who has criticized the current practice of shifting time twice a year as a “ridiculous, twice yearly production.” Despite the House’s vote, the bill now heads to the Senate, where its passage is uncertain. This legislative effort follows a similar attempt in 1974 to end clock-switching, which Congress eventually repealed after public dissatisfaction. In 2022, the Senate unanimously passed a measure making daylight savings time permanent, but the bill died in the House.

Religious and Communal Concerns

Orthodox Jewish organizations, including Agudath Israel of America, the Orthodox Union, and the Coalition for Jewish Values, have formally opposed the measure. The primary concern centers on the Shacharit, the morning prayer service. According to Rabbi A.D. Motzen, national director of government affairs for Agudath Israel, traditional Jewish law requires these prayers to begin not in the dark.

Because the morning service often requires a minyan—a quorum of 10 Jewish adults—the shift in sunrise times would force some congregations to delay prayers until after 9:00 a.m. in certain regions. “It becomes a communal issue when, for example, a synagogue that has had a morning prayer service for 100 years suddenly does not have a quorum of 10 men who can show up at the prayer time close to 9 o’clock because they have jobs,” Motzen stated. In areas like South Bend, Indiana, sunrise could occur after 9:00 a.m. for 55 days annually under permanent daylight saving time, complicating the schedules of congregants who must commute to work or school.

Health and Safety Perspectives

Opposition to the bill extends beyond religious groups. Medical and health advocates have expressed concerns that the human body’s internal clock is better aligned with the sun during standard time rather than daylight saving time.

Additionally, school boards and parents have raised safety concerns regarding children walking to school in pitch-black conditions during winter mornings. Under the proposed permanent daylight saving time, sunrise would occur after 8:00 a.m. across much of the United States, and in some locations, it would not happen until after 9:00 a.m.

Current Time Standards in U.S. Territories

The U.S. currently maintains a patchwork of time-keeping practices. While most of the country participates in the biannual time change, several regions already operate on standard time year-round. These include:

• Hawaii
• Most of Arizona
• Puerto Rico
• Guam
• American Samoa
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• Northern Mariana Islands

As Congress continues to debate the merits of the Sunshine Protection Act, the tension between the desire for extended evening daylight and the potential disruptions to religious, biological, and school-day routines remains a central point of contention.