Buchanan’s Sunshine Protection Act to Receive House Vote Tomorrow
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan released the following statement ahead of the House floor vote tomorrow on his Sunshine Protection Act (H.R. 139), a bill to make daylight saving time (DST) permanent year-round and end the twice-annual clock change:
“My bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act will bring us one step closer to ending the outdated and unpopular practice of changing our clocks twice a year. Americans across the country are tired of the biannual clock change, and the evidence is clear that permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity.
“I’ve advocated for this change for years because it’s clear that year-round daylight saving time is a popular, commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for this crucial bipartisan bill to lock the clock for good.”
Buchanan’s Sunshine Protection Act would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. In Florida, the state legislature overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation in 2018 to become the first state in the nation to adopt permanent DST. Across the U.S., 19 states have since enacted legislation or passed similar resolutions to adopt this change.
The Sunshine Protection Act allows states to opt out of permanent daylight saving time in favor of permanent standard time if opt out legislation is passed through their respective state legislatures. States can do so right up until the bill’s enactment.
The legislation has 34 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, and Senate companion legislation (S. 29) introduced by Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has 18 bipartisan cosponsors. President Trump has also consistently said that he wants to end the twice-annual clock change.
Buchanan has introduced the Sunshine Protection Act each Congress since 2018.
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