19 states approved permanent daylight saving time. The last obstacle to locking their clocks could soon fall
Nineteen U.S. states have enacted laws or measures to observe daylight saving time year-round. With what the reporting describes as the final barrier to a nationwide switch potentially about to be resolved, the country could soon see permanent daylight saving time in effect.
Why It Matters
If permanent daylight saving time is implemented nationally, it would finalize initiatives already passed in many states and change clock timing across the country, affecting scheduling, commerce and daily routines. The development would conclude a long-running policy debate over whether to stick with seasonal clock changes or move to a single, year-round time.
Key Facts
- States approved permanent DST: 19
- States still waiting: more than a dozen
- Outcome described: The U.S. appears close to observing permanent daylight saving time
Nineteen states have now taken legislative action to adopt daylight saving time year-round, reflecting a multi-year effort by state lawmakers to eliminate twice-yearly clock changes. Supporters in these states have passed laws or resolutions that would keep clocks advanced permanently rather than reverting to standard time each fall.
According to the reporting, more than a dozen other states have been waiting for a final condition to be met before locking in permanent daylight saving time themselves. That remaining condition is characterized as the last major obstacle to a broader shift toward year-round daylight saving time across the United States.
If that final barrier is removed, the move would allow states that have already approved permanent daylight saving time to implement their plans in practice, and could pave the way for additional states to follow. The change would alter the national rhythm of clock setting and could have ripple effects on scheduling, broadcasting, transportation and other activities that rely on standardized time.
The push for permanent daylight saving time follows longstanding debates over the benefits and drawbacks of staying on one time year-round versus keeping the current practice of switching between standard time and daylight saving time. Proponents have argued for consistency and potential benefits to evening daylight, while critics have raised concerns about darker mornings and related impacts.
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