The House of Representatives is expected to vote next week on legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States, marking the latest effort to eliminate the twice-a-year clock changes that have long frustrated many Americans.

According to a notice released Thursday, lawmakers will consider the Sunshine Protection Act after the House Energy and Commerce Committee overwhelmingly approved the measure in May by a 48-1 vote. Although the Senate unanimously passed similar legislation in March 2022, the bill stalled in the House amid growing opposition.

The version of the legislation scheduled for a House vote would give individual states the option of opting out of permanent daylight saving time.

Most of the United States has observed daylight saving time since the 1960s, advancing clocks by one hour each spring before returning to standard time in the fall.

Backers of the legislation argue that eliminating the biannual time changes would improve public health and safety. They contend that switching clocks contributes to sleep disruption, increases workplace accidents, and leads to more traffic crashes. They also believe longer daylight hours in the evening during the winter months would encourage greater economic activity.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced support for ending the twice-yearly clock changes. In May, he declared that it was “time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production.”

Even if the bill clears the House, it would still require Senate approval before reaching Trump’s desk. The proposal faces opposition from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and several other lawmakers.

Cotton has argued that permanent daylight saving time would produce unusually late winter sunrises, forcing many children to travel to school before daylight for much of the year.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who has introduced versions of the legislation nearly every year since 2018, once again sponsored the measure this session. The proposal has drawn strong support in his home state of Florida, where advocates say additional evening daylight would benefit golf courses, parks, and other recreational facilities.

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., also endorsed the legislation, saying permanent daylight saving time is “better for safety and will boost New Jersey’s tourism industry. Let’s stop changing the clocks twice a year.”

The United States previously adopted year-round daylight saving time during World War II and briefly reinstated it in 1974 as an energy-saving measure. However, the experiment proved unpopular with the public, prompting Congress to repeal the policy later that same year.

{Matzav.com}