By FOCUS, A Leonine Business
As legislative sessions move forward in 2025, lawmakers across the country are revisiting the debate over daylight saving time (DST). This year, 82 bills addressing DST have been introduced in 34 states and the U.S. Congress, part of the now regular efforts to either make DST permanent or abolish the twice-yearly clock change altogether. In Maine, LD 3 recently passed the Joint State and Local Governments Committee. The bill would remove an existing stipulation that requires all Eastern Time Zone states and Washington, D.C., to adopt permanent daylight time before Maine can make the switch. Meanwhile, in North Dakota, HB 1259 passed the House in January and is now under review in the Senate. This bill takes a different approach, seeking to establish permanent standard time statewide.
The push to end daylight saving time is not new. In 2018, Florida became the first state to pass legislation to permanently observe DST pending federal approval. Since then, 18 states have followed suit, passing similar laws that would take effect only if Congress permits states to make DST permanent. Two states, Arizona and Hawaii, have already adopted permanent standard time.
Public opinion is behind ending daylight saving time. A 2019 University of Chicago survey found that only 28 percent of Americans want to keep the current system of biannual clock changes. Additionally, numerous scientific and medical organizations, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, have urged lawmakers to abandon the practice. Research shows that shifting clocks forward in the spring may disrupt sleep patterns, increase traffic accidents and be linked to higher rates of heart attacks, strokes and mental health issues. Despite widespread support for eliminating the time change, there is less consensus on whether to adopt permanent DST or permanent standard time. Medical experts generally favor standard time, arguing that it aligns better with human circadian rhythms and promotes better sleep health.
As more states introduce legislation, the pressure on Congress to allow a permanent shift, whether to daylight saving time or standard time, continues to grow. Until federal law changes, however, states remain limited in their ability to implement permanent time adjustments. With scientific research and public opinion largely opposed to the biannual time change, state and federal lawmakers will continue to debate the best path forward. FOCUS will monitor legislative developments as states and Congress consider whether to end daylight saving time once and for all.
