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By Suzanne Blake
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The House of Representatives has passed legislation this month that would make daylight saving time permanent across most of the United States.
Much of the support for the Sunshine Protection Act centers around the argument that permanent daylight saving time would boost economic activity and end the disruption caused by the spring and fall time shifts.
The law, which is backed by President Donald Trump and lawmakers from both parties, now faces an uncertain path in the Senate. If enacted, it would keep clocks set one hour ahead of standard time year-round, ending the twice-yearly ritual of “springing forward" and "falling back."
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A recent study from economic research and consulting firm Chmura found daylight saving time causes a $672 million hit to the U.S. economy. Medically, Americans lose $375 million to heart attack costs as a result of the time change and $252 million from stroke-related expenses.
"That estimate reflects the increased incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and traffic accidents associated with losing an hour of sleep during the transition," Christine Chmura, the CEO and chief economist at Chmura, told Newsweek.
"The findings suggest that the economic cost comes primarily from changing the clocks, not from daylight saving time or standard time themselves. As a result, adopting either permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time could avoid these transition-related costs by eliminating the twice-yearly clock changes."
Newsweek spoke to other financial experts on how this would affect the average American’s finances.
Why It Matters
The debate over daylight saving time affects nearly every American. Beyond the inconvenience of changing clocks, the time change has been linked to disruptions in sleep, productivity and health.
The American Heart Association found increases in heart attacks and strokes after the spring change, and there’s also been a recorded uptick in workplace errors, including by medical professionals who are making life-and-death decisions.
More evening daylight could also encourage consumer spending because of the perceived increase in time for recreational activities.
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House Passes Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent: Where It Stands
The House approved the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14, sending the bill to the Senate for consideration. The legislation would make daylight saving time the permanent national standard, eliminating the seasonal clock changes observed across most of the country since the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
Hawaii, most of Arizona and several U.S. territories already do not observe daylight saving time.
The new legislation comes after years of state efforts and congressional proposals to end clock changes. Already, around half of states have passed legislation or resolutions supporting year-round daylight saving time if federal law is changed.
“Permanent daylight saving time could save Americans some money, but no one should expect a dramatic drop in their monthly bills,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek. “The real savings would likely come from eliminating the twice-a-year disruption,which would give businesses more evening daylight for consumers spending.”
Trump has also gone on the record calling the clock changes a costly and unnecessary burden.
“It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in May.
“It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it! We are going with the far more popular alternative, Saving Daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter Day — And who can be against that — This is an easy one!”
Still, Senate approval is not guaranteed.
“Darker winter mornings could end up creating new safety and health concerns, especially for students and early-shift workers,” Beene said. “Congress may agree that changing the clocks has become outdated, but reaching agreement on whether daylight time or standard time should be permanent could remain the biggest obstacle.”
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Why Is Daylight Saving Time So Controversial?
The controversy arises from a fundamental disagreement over when daylight should occur.
While supporters of permanent daylight saving time say a later sunset gives people more usable daylight after work and school to encourage shopping and recreation, critics warn that permanent daylight saving time would produce significantly later winter sunrises, particularly in northern states.
In some locations, the sun would not rise until after 8 a.m. during the winter months, meaning schoolchildren and commuters could be traveling in darkness.
“If the damage comes from the transition, then either permanent option eliminates it,” Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek. “Standard time, daylight time, doesn't matter. The $672 million is an argument for stopping the switch. It's silent on which time to keep.”
The United States previously experimented with year-round daylight saving time. During the 1973 energy crisis, Congress temporarily adopted permanent daylight saving time to reduce energy consumption.
The initial public support was strong, but approval quickly declined as Americans experienced darker winter mornings. Congress reversed the policy less than a year later.
Still, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Medical Association have argued that permanent standard time aligns better with natural circadian rhythms, making it the healthier option.
“For far too long, we’ve changed our clocks in pursuit of daylight, while incurring public health and safety risks in the process. Committing to standard time has health benefits and allows us to end the biannual tug of war between our biological and alarm clocks,” AMA Trustee Alexander Ding, M.D., said previously.
Could Daylight Saving Time Lower Americans' Costs?
The answer depends on which costs are being measured.
There are several potential economic benefits to permanent daylight saving time. For instance, more evening daylight may encourage spending at restaurants and retailers.
But experts are not in unison on whether the financial benefits would actually be overwhelmingly good for Americans.
“I don’t foresee any meaningful cost savings or added costs to society from making daylight saving time permanent. Correlation is not causation, and any number of mitigating factors can influence a single outcome,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. “Time itself is constant; how we choose to measure and organize that time is ultimately a matter of interpretation.”
Additional evening daylight could also reduce certain crimes. A Brookings Institution study found a 27 percent decline in robberies during evening hours that would otherwise have occurred after dark.
There could also be savings from getting rid of the logistical burden of changing clocks twice per year. Trump has said that governments, businesses and municipalities spend substantial sums maintaining public clocks and related infrastructure.
However, the actual energy savings appear to be relatively modest. A 2018 meta-analysis found electricity consumption decreases by about 0.34 percent during daylight saving time, while a 2008 Department of Energy study found no statistically significant effect on gasoline consumption.
What Happens Next
The Sunshine Protection Act now awaits Senate action. If the Senate passes the legislation and Trump signs it into law, most Americans would no longer need to change their clocks twice a year.
As of now, Americans are still scheduled to turn their clocks back one hour this November.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jenna deJong and Sam Wilson.
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