Buchanan’s Sunshine Protection Act Passes House in Bipartisan Vote
Click here to watch Buchanan’s House floor speech on the Sunshine Protection Act.
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan released the following statement after 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, passed the House in a bipartisan vote:
“Today, the House took an important step toward ending the outdated practice of changing our clocks twice a year by passing my bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act. This commonsense legislation reflects what Americans have been saying for years: it’s time to lock the clock and make daylight saving time permanent.
“Permanent daylight saving time will improve public safety, promote healthier and more active lifestyles and give families more daylight to enjoy after work and school. I’m grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this bipartisan effort, and I urge the Senate to send this long-overdue reform to the president’s desk.”
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, pending congressional approval.
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 33 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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