8 Senators Propose Extending Daylight Saving Time to Year-Round

From The Daily Signal.com (Mar. 10):

A bipartisan group of senators has reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which would extend daylight saving time to year-round, rather than keep it at eight months. One of those lawmakers, Sen. Marco Rubio, says the change would “give our nation’s families more stability throughout the year.”

The Florida Republican and seven colleagues from both sides of the aisle are co-sponsors of the measure, which would eliminate the need to reset clocks an hour ahead near the end of winter and back an hour in the fall.

Daylight saving time currently begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March—which is March 14 this year—and ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November.

Senate leadership sent the Sunshine Protection Act (S 623), which the lawmakers reintroduced Tuesday, to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

Rubio’s co-sponsors are Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla.; Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss.; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; and Ed Markey, D-Mass.

The bill previously was introduced in the House on March 6, 2019, but didn’t receive a vote.

The Sunshine Protection Act follows the lead of the Florida Legislature’s 2018 enactment of year-round daylight saving time. A change in federal law is required for the Florida measure to take effect. [read more]