Mar 10, 2023 - News

Georgia's quest to ditch daylight saving time depends on Congress

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

The bi-annual changing of the clocks takes place Sunday, but some federal lawmakers hope it's the last time we "spring forward" as they push to make daylight saving time permanent.

Why it matters: Georgia passed a law to stop falling back and springing forward — but nothing will happen until Congress acts.

Driving the news: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which was surprisingly approved by a unanimous vote in the Senate last year but wasn't voted on by the House.

  • The bill — and companion legislation in the House — would eliminate the changing of clocks and "if enacted, the U.S. would not 'fall back' in November and would enjoy a full year of DST, instead of only eight months," according to a fact sheet on the bill.

State of play: Health groups have called for an end to the seasonal shifting of clocks, a ritual first adopted in the U.S. more than a century ago.

Georgia is one of 19 states that 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.

Yes, but: Federal law says states can unilaterally move to standard time but must have the approval of Congress to adopt year-round daylight saving time.

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