Overview
- The U.S. House approved the Sunshine Protection Act by a 308–117 vote on July 14, 2026, and the bill would make daylight saving time the year‑round national clock if the Senate and president enact it.
- Supporters and the White House back the change as a way to stop twice‑yearly clock shifts, but implementation is complicated because federal law lets only some states opt out and any change requires Senate approval.
- Sleep researchers and major medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the Sleep Research Society, warn permanent daylight time shifts daily light later and raises risks such as circadian misalignment, higher heart‑attack rates, and worsened teen sleep.
- Analyses show many U.S. cities would see very late winter sunrises under year‑round daylight time — examples cited include long stretches of late sunrises in Seattle, Detroit and Bismarck — raising concerns for children and morning commuters.
- A competing bill, the Sunshine for Our Kids Act, would lock the nation into permanent standard time, and senators from northern and Mountain West states have signaled resistance, making the Senate the next decisive battleground for the policy.