Daylight saving time is ending soon, and many Americans are hoping this will be the last time they have to adjust their clocks. However, the reality is that November 3 is unlikely to mark the final switch.
Despite efforts from state and federal lawmakers to end the practice, little progress has been made. The U.S. has previously attempted to eliminate daylight saving time but quickly reverted to it.
Twice a year, discussions arise about making either daylight saving time or standard time permanent.
Nearly every state has introduced or passed legislation to stop the biannual clock changes, with most pushing to stay on daylight saving time year-round—meaning they would “spring forward” in March and never “fall back” in November. However, states cannot make that decision independently.
Under federal law, states can choose to remain on permanent standard time, as seen in Hawaii and most of Arizona. However, they need congressional approval to observe daylight saving time year-round.
That hasn’t stopped several states from passing legislation in favor of permanent daylight saving time. Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming have all taken such steps.
Other states, including Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia, have proposed similar bills in recent legislative sessions, but most have stalled. Efforts in Mississippi and Nebraska failed this year.
Some states have introduced legislation to adopt permanent daylight saving time if neighboring states do the same.
For example, Delaware passed a bill in 2019 requesting to be placed in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone (equivalent to Eastern Daylight Time year-round) if Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland agreed.
Similarly, New Hampshire has a bill under review that would enact permanent daylight saving time if surrounding states also passed such laws.
Idaho and Illinois have passed similar measures, while Connecticut, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Tennessee
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