"Fall back" an hour to standard time this Sunday
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Sunday is the semi-annual changing of the clocks when most of the country will "fall back" to standard time after nearly eight months in daylight saving time.
Why it matters: Proposed federal legislation to end the twice-yearly time change and make daylight saving time permanent has sat idle since March 2023.
The big picture: Health groups and sleep experts have called for an end to the seasonal shifting of clocks, a ritual first adopted in the U.S. more than a century ago.
- But most experts support staying in standard time permanently over daylight saving time.
- The March "spring forward" is linked to an increase in car accidents, heart attacks and strokes.
When does the time change Sunday
The big picture: Sunday morning at 2 am is considered the official time to set clocks to standard time.
- Many people will change the time on their clocks before going to bed on Saturday and many devices will change automatically.
Flashback: In the 1970s, the last time Congress made daylight saving time permanent, the decision was reversed in less than a year after the early morning darkness proved dangerous for school children and public sentiment changed.
- DST used to run from April to October but the Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended DST by approximately four weeks from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
"Fall back" by "gaining an hour"
The "fall back" switch is the less-hated clock change when we "gain" an hour versus "lose" an hour in March.
- Sunrise and sunset will be about an hour earlier on Sunday and there will be more light in the morning, per Almanac.com.
The intrigue: An interactive tool at SaveStandardTime.com shows the time of sunrise and sunset by location under standard and daylight time.
States in permanent standard time
Hawaii and Arizona do not observe daylight saving time except in the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona.
- U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the Virgin Islands observe permanent standard time.
The push to make daylight saving time year-round
State of play: 20 states have passed bills or resolutions since 2018 to make daylight saving time year-round if Congress acts, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
- In April, Oklahoma became the 20th state to pass a bill to adopt daylight saving time year-round if a federal law is passed.
- Other states that have taken action are: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
- California voters approved the Proposition 7 ballot initiative in 2018 but legislative action hasn't been acted on.
Sunshine Protection Act
Federal law says states can unilaterally move to standard time, but must have Congress' approval to adopt year-round daylight saving time.
- Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act in March 2023, a year after it was unanimously approved by the Senate but wasn't voted on by the House.
- The Senate bill was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation but there has been no other movement since March 2023.
Reality check: The national effort to stop the clock changes has failed or stalled in recent years with a lack of support to survive committees.
- There are also regional differences over who benefits from changing to permanent daylight saving time or standard time.
Spring forward 2025: Next time change
What's next: Daylight saving time is scheduled to return Sunday, March 9 unless federal legislation moves forward quickly.
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