Whitehouse Renews Call to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

Bipartisan legislation would end an outdated disruption of American life

Washington, D.C. – As Daylight Saving Time ends and Americans prepare to set their clocks back an hour, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is urging Congress to pass the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act, a bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide.

“Each November, the practice of ‘falling back’ an hour disrupts our lives and robs us of daylight hours to enjoy ourselves,” said Whitehouse. “It’s time for Congress to take up this bipartisan legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent and give Rhode Islanders an hour of afternoon sunshine back during the dark winter months.”

Daylight Saving Time began Sunday, March 14, and ends this Sunday, November 7. In the last four years, nineteen states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to mandate year-round Daylight Saving Time, but Congress must act before states can adopt these changes.

There is considerable evidence that making Daylight Saving Time permanent would benefit the American economy and public health. Studies have shown that economic activity is reduced during Standard Time, and permanent Daylight Saving Time would lead to greater energy savings. Spending more standard work hours in sunlight would reduce rates of seasonal depression. Americans exercise more frequently during Daylight Saving Time, reducing the risk of stroke and heart problems. Research also suggests that the extra hour of afternoon sun leads to fewer car accidents and evening robberies.

View the full text of the legislation here. Whitehouse is the lead Democrat on the bipartisan bill.