Nineteen U.S. states have now passed legislation backing permanent daylight saving time, but under federal law none of those changes can take effect without Congress signing off first.
Which states have passed permanent DST laws
Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming have all enacted laws supporting year-round daylight saving time. Some, including Delaware and Utah, have added a condition: they'll only switch if neighboring states do the same.
Why the states can't act alone
Under current federal law, states are allowed to opt out of daylight saving time and stay on standard time permanently — Arizona and Hawaii already do this. But the reverse isn't allowed: a state cannot lock in daylight saving time year-round without Congress changing the underlying law first.
Where the Sunshine Protection Act stands
The House passed H.R. 139, the Sunshine Protection Act, on July 14, 2026, as part of the broader Motor Vehicle Modernization Act, which cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a 48-1 vote. The bill would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide and end the twice-yearly clock change. It now needs Senate action, but the bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote. The Senate returns October 5 for an extended recess, leaving little time to act before clocks change again.
What happens next
Unless the Senate moves quickly, the twice-yearly ritual continues as normal: clocks fall back one hour on November 1, 2026, and spring forward again in March 2027.
