Last spring, the U.S. Senate approved a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent. But despite a surge of support to end the time changes, most of the nation will again turn its clocks back on Sunday.
What’s the status of the legislation?
Since its Senate passage in March, the Sunshine Protection Act has been stalled in the House, preventing action in 19 states that have taken steps toward abandoning the twice-yearly time change.
California was among the first of the states on the no-time-change bandwagon. Proposition 7 in 2018, which passed with 60% of the vote, supported allowing the Legislature to revise the time change schedule, including establishing permanent standard or permanent daylight saving time.
On the heels of the popular vote, Assemblyman Kansen Chu (D-San Jose) introduced a bill that “would set California’s standard time to year-round daylight saving time after the federal government authorizes the state to do so.” It also has been stalled.
When are the next clock changes?
At 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6, clocks will fall back an hour. On Sunday, March 12, 2023, they’ll go forward an hour to start daylight saving time again.
If the Sunshine Protection Act were to pass the House and be signed into law, the March change would be the last one, as the bill specifies daylight saving time would be “the new, permanent standard time, effective November 5, 2023.”
In the United States, only Hawaii and most of Arizona do not adhere to the time change.
Mexico eliminates time change
Mexico’s Congress last week approved a bill to eliminate daylight saving time, and the president was expected to approve it. Under that action, the nation’s change on Sunday, Oct. 31, will be its last — it will not spring forward in March.
Some Mexican cities near the U.S. border, however, will be allowed to go on daylight saving time.
Related links
Running out on Standard Time
Senate OKs bill to make daylight saving time permanent
Why we voted for permanent daylight saving time but don’t have it