WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, passing the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, H.R 139, by a vote of 308 to 117. The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration.
The Washington state House delegation was split with Reps. Baumgartner, DelBene, Perez, Randall, Schrier, and Strickland voting “Yes” and Reps. Jayapal, Larsen, Newhouse, and Smith voting “No.”
Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., would end the twice-yearly clock changes. States with existing exemptions, such as Hawaii and most of Arizona, could continue observing standard time year-round.
The U.S. is currently observing daylight saving time (DST), which began on March 8 and is scheduled to end on Nov. 1. If the bill is enacted before Nov. 1, it would prevent the fall-back change this November, keeping clocks advanced one hour year-round.
President Trump backs the legislation calling it “so important” because “Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks.” Trump added that he would “work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law” and described the current system as a “ridiculous, twice yearly production.”
If signed into law, clocks would stay set one hour ahead all year in which sunrise would occur later on the clock during the winter months. For Snohomish County, sunrise under permanent DST would occur between 8:35 a.m. and 8:55 a.m. during winter months.
The Edmonds School District approved new school start times that take effect in the 2027-28 school year. Many elementary schools will start 85 minutes earlier at around 7:20 a.m., well before sunrise in winter months.
Nearly three dozen parents, students and district employees urged the Edmonds School District (ESD) Board on Tuesday, June 9, to abandon plans for a 7:20 a.m. start at 12 elementary schools, arguing the change would deprive young children of sleep, expose them to predawn darkness at bus stops and shift an inequitable burden onto working and low-income families.
In 2019, Washington passed Substitute House Bill 1196, supporting permanent daylight-saving time, and it was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee. Washington is one of roughly 19 states that have passed laws supporting permanent DST and is awaiting legislation from Congress like the current Sunshine Protection Act to enact it.
Author: Mario Lotmore
