Sunshine Protection Act: Law Or Not?

The Sunshine Protection Act is a proposed United States federal law that would make daylight saving time permanent, meaning the time would no longer change twice per year. The bill has been proposed during several sessions of Congress, and while it passed the Senate by unanimous consent in 2022, it has yet to be passed by the House of Representatives. The Act would establish a permanent daylight saving time in the U.S., leading to later sunrises and sunsets during the months when most of the country observes standard time. This would result in less sunlight in the morning and more in the evening.

The Sunshine Protection Act was first introduced in 2018

The bill was reintroduced in 2019 by Vern Buchanan (R-FL 16th) but failed to advance. In 2021, the bill was filed in the U.S. House of Representatives by Buchanan and in the U.S. Senate by Rubio. It received bipartisan support and was cosponsored by senators from both parties. On March 15, 2022, the bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent. However, it did not pass the House and ultimately died in the House when the 117th Congress ended.

A new version of the bill was introduced in 2023 but has been at a standstill. As of March 25, 2024, the Sunshine Protection Act has yet to become law.

The bill has been reintroduced several times

The Sunshine Protection Act, a proposed United States federal law that would make daylight saving time permanent, has been reintroduced several times. The bill was first introduced in 2018 by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) but failed to advance. It was reintroduced in 2019 by Vern Buchanan (R-FL 16th) and failed again.

The 2021 iteration was filed in the U.S. House of Representatives by Buchanan and in the U.S. Senate by Rubio in early 2021. The bill received bipartisan support and was cosponsored by senators from both parties. It passed the Senate by unanimous consent on March 15, 2022, but ultimately died in the House as the 117th Congress ended without a vote.

The Sunshine Protection Act was reintroduced in 2023 by both Buchanan and Rubio. As of March 2024, the 2023 bill has been referred to the Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce in the House and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in the Senate. Despite overwhelming bipartisan and popular support, the bill has not progressed further.

Senator Rubio has expressed hope that the bill will be passed into law, calling the ritual of changing time twice a year "stupid". Other senators have also voiced their support for the legislation, with Senator Ed Markey, a leading sponsor, stating that the bill "will shine a light on the darkest days of the year and deliver more sun, more smiles, and brighter skies".

It has bipartisan support

The Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent in the United States, has received bipartisan support. The bill was first introduced in 2018 by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and has since been reintroduced in 2019, 2021, and 2023.

In 2021, the bill received bipartisan support in the Senate, with the following senators cosponsoring the legislation: James Lankford (R-OK), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Ed Markey (D-MA). The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent in March 2022 but ultimately died in the House.

In 2023, the bill was reintroduced in the Senate by Senator Rubio and in the House by Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL 16th). The bill has been referred to committees in both chambers, with its progress stalling as of March 2024.

Support for the bill comes from both sides of the aisle, with senators from both parties cosponsoring the legislation. Senator Rubio has expressed hope that the bill can finally be passed into law, stating that "locking the clock has overwhelming bipartisan and popular support."

The Sunshine Protection Act aims to end the "stupid" ritual of changing clocks twice a year and establish permanent daylight saving time. This would result in later sunrises and sunsets during the months when most of the United States observes standard time. While there is bipartisan support for the bill, it has also faced opposition and uncertainty, with some arguing that permanent standard time would be more beneficial for health and human welfare.

The bill has not yet been presented to Congress in 2024

The Sunshine Protection Act is a proposed United States federal law that would make daylight saving time permanent. The bill has been proposed during several sessions of Congress, but it has not yet been presented to Congress in 2024.

The Sunshine Protection Act was first introduced in 2018 by Senator Marco Rubio. It was modelled after a 2018 Florida bill of the same name. The bill has been reintroduced several times since then, including in 2023 by Senator Rubio and Representative Vern Buchanan. The 2023 bill has been referred to a committee in the Senate and a subcommittee in the House, but it has not yet been presented to Congress.

The bill has received bipartisan support, with sponsors and cosponsors from both the Republican and Democratic parties. It has also been supported by President Donald Trump, who tweeted that he would be willing to sign it. However, the bill has faced opposition from some, including the National Association of Convenience Stores, which told Congress that "we should not have kids going to school in the dark."

The Sunshine Protection Act would establish permanent daylight saving time in the United States, leading to later sunrises and sunsets during the four months in which most of the country currently observes standard time. This would result in less sunlight in the morning hours and more sunlight in the evening. The bill would not mandate that states and territories that currently observe permanent standard time switch to permanent daylight saving time.

While the bill has not yet been presented to Congress in 2024, it is unclear what the prospects for its passage are. Some analysts argue that a change to permanent daylight saving time at the federal level is unlikely anytime soon, as there is still considerable disagreement about policy changes that will be difficult to overcome. However, others point to the broad support for the bill among lawmakers and the American people as a sign that it could be passed.

The bill would establish permanent daylight saving time

The Sunshine Protection Act is a proposed federal law in the United States that would establish permanent daylight saving time. The bill was first introduced in 2018 by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and has been reintroduced several times since then, most recently in 2023.

The bill aims to end the biannual practice of changing clocks forward and backward, which is currently mandated by the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Under the Sunshine Protection Act, there would be no clock changes in the spring and fall, resulting in later sunrises and sunsets during the months when most of the United States observes standard time. This would mean less morning sunlight and more evening sunlight.

The bill has gained some traction, passing the Senate by unanimous consent in 2022. However, it has yet to be presented to Congress in 2024 and remains stalled in committee. If passed by Congress, the bill would need to be signed by the President to become law.

Proponents of the bill argue that permanent daylight saving time would enable children to play outdoors later and reduce seasonal depression. They also point to potential economic benefits and a slight decrease in car crashes. On the other hand, opponents argue that permanent standard time is better for health and human welfare, with support from various health and safety experts and research societies.

While the Sunshine Protection Act has not yet become law, some states have passed their own legislation to adopt permanent daylight saving time, contingent on federal approval. Oklahoma, for example, passed such a bill in 2024.

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