07/21/2026
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On July 14, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act by a vote of 308 to 117. If the proposal eventually becomes law, most of the United States would remain on Daylight Saving Time year-round instead of switching back to Standard Time each fall. The bill still must pass the Senate and be signed by the president before it can take effect.
Keeping clocks one hour ahead during winter would shift both sunrise and sunset about an hour later. That means brighter evenings, but also much darker mornings. In some northern and western parts of the country, the latest winter sunrise could occur after 9:00 a.m., while even many eastern states would not see the sun until well after 8:00 a.m.
The impact varies because of both geography and time zones. States located farther north receive fewer hours of daylight during winter, while places on the western edge of a time zone experience later sunrises than those on the eastern edge. When these two factors combine, sunrise can be pushed surprisingly late into the morning.
This is not the first time the United States has considered permanent Daylight Saving Time. The country briefly adopted it during World War II and again during the 1973 energy crisis. However, concerns about dark winter mornings, especially for schoolchildren, led Congress to end the experiment early.
The times shown on this map are approximate estimates of the latest sunrise that could occur within each state under permanent Daylight Saving Time. If the proposal becomes law, millions of Americans would gain more evening daylight in winter, but many would also begin their day before sunrise for a much larger part of the year.
Would you rather have brighter evenings year-round, or keep brighter winter mornings?
