U.S. House Passes Sunshine Protection Act on 308-117 Vote

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act on a 308-117 vote Tuesday, sending the legislation to the Senate. The measure would permit states to observe daylight saving time throughout the year and eliminate the twice-annual clock adjustments that most states currently perform.

Airlines for America stated this week that any shift would carry considerable implications for aviation, including passenger disruption, crew and aircraft positioning, and domestic and international connectivity issues. The group noted that airlines operate expansive interconnected domestic and global networks that rely on stability and predictability, and that any changes would require an implementation timeline reflecting those global complications.

The White House has urged lawmakers to support the measure.

Reuters reported that President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill if it reaches his desk. Twenty states have already approved legislation that would allow them to remain on daylight saving time permanently if Congress authorizes the shift. Most states move clocks forward one hour in March and back one hour in November.

Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states that do not participate in those changes. An AP-NORC survey released in December found that 12 percent of respondents favored the current system of changing clocks twice a year, while nearly half opposed it. Fifty-six percent said they would prefer to make daylight saving time permanent, and about 40 percent would rather make standard time permanent.