New legislation unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate called the Sunshine Protection Act could mean we no longer have to reset our clocks for daylight saving time.
According to the Providence Journal, the new bill was spearheaded by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and co-sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio.
“Many people spend months looking forward to this weekend, when clocks will jump ahead an hour and winter starts to fade,” Sen. Whitehouse said in a statement. “It’s time for Congress to take up our bipartisan legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent and brighten the coldest months with an extra hour of afternoon sun.”
This past weekend, every state except Hawaii and Arizona observed daylight saving time, where we lost an hour on Sunday but gained an hour of sunlight daily until November. Sen. Whitehouse argued that permanent daylight saving time would be a boost to the public’s health and the economy.
“Studies have shown that economic activity is reduced during Standard Time, and permanent Daylight Saving Time would lead to greater energy savings,” he said. “Spending more standard work hours in sunlight would reduce rates of seasonal depression.”
The public also exercises more during daylight saving time, and there’s less “risk of stroke and heart problems,” per Whitehouse. “Research also suggests that the extra hour of afternoon sun leads to fewer car accidents and evening robberies.”
The senator added that “in the past four years, 18 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to mandate year-round Daylight Saving Time, but Congress must act before states can adopt the change.”
While Americans are typically happy when daylight saving time comes back around, reactions to the Senate passing the bill were a mixed bag. Check out what people had to say below.
