19 US States Want Permanent Daylight Saving Time

Nineteen US states have already passed legislation seeking to make daylight saving time permanent, but residents in those states still have to change their clocks twice a year because federal law does not currently allow states to adopt year-round daylight saving time. A new federal push to end the clock change has now cleared the US House of Representatives, bringing the issue back to Congress. The bill must still clear the Senate before the states can put their laws into effect.

The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House 308-117 on July 14 and now faces consideration in the Senate.

Why Do 19 US States Want Permanent Daylight Saving Time?

The 19 states did not independently switch to permanent daylight saving time. Their laws were written to take effect only if federal law changes. The federal Uniform Time Act currently allows states to opt out of daylight saving time and remain on standard time, but does not allow them to remain on daylight saving time throughout the year.

The 19 states are: Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Idaho, Louisiana, South Carolina, Utah, Wyoming, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington and Florida.

The states have pursued it to eliminate the twice-yearly clock change; retain longer evening daylight; allow more daylight for recreation and businesses.

Some policymakers and medical groups favour permanent standard time, particularly because it provides more morning daylight during winter.

What Does Congress Have To Do?

The federal government controls the rules governing the nation's time system. So even though 19 states have passed legislation supporting permanent daylight saving time, those laws cannot take effect under the current federal framework.

US President Donald Trump said on September 17, “We will pass the No More Changing Your Clocks Act — so we don’t have to change your clocks twice a year.”

The House passed the bill 308-117 on July 14, 2026. It would make daylight saving time permanent while allowing states to opt out and remain on standard time. The legislation now goes to the Senate, where its future is uncertain. The Senate unanimously passed an earlier version in 2022, but the House did not take it forward.

For now, the existing system remains in place. The 19 state laws are effectively waiting for Congress to change federal law. If the federal legislation clears the Senate and becomes law, those states could move towards year-round daylight saving time; otherwise, their existing laws will remain dormant. The 19 states have enacted laws that would allow permanent daylight saving time if federal law permits it.