Texas Senate enacts legislation to establish permanent daylight saving time, contingent upon federal authorization.
Texas Senate Passes Bill to Adopt Permanent Daylight Saving Time
In a 27-4 vote on Thursday, the Texas Senate passed House Bill 1393, which seeks to move the state to permanent daylight saving time (DST) and bring an end to the annual tradition of changing clocks. The bill now moves to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for his approval.
Authored by Rep. Will Metcalf of Conroe, the bill aims to eliminate the bi-annual time change, arguing that extending daylight into the evening hours would better suit Texans in the modern economy. Sen. Paul Bettencourt of Houston advocated for the bill, stating it would offer numerous benefits to residents, particularly by optimizing the hour before an 8 a.m. start for school or work.
While the bill would make DST permanent statewide, a federal law change is required for the shift to occur. At present, only states can opt out of DST entirely, not adopt it permanently. Consequently, even if Abbott signs HB 1393 into law, it won't take effect without Congress altering federal timekeeping rules.
Democratic Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas voiced opposition to the bill, questioning whether Texas should adopt DST and remain an hour ahead of its centuries-old clock establishment. He cited the U.S.'s brief experiment with permanent DST in 1974, which met with public backlash and was quickly abandoned.
In the past, similar measures in Texas have failed to reach Abbott's desk for approval. The governor has expressly voiced support for making DST permanent in the state. Across 18 other states, including Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Alabama, similar legislation has been passed, all awaiting federal approval. In Congress, the Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to adopt DST year-round, has been introduced multiple times but has yet to gain significant traction.
Public opinion appears to be divided, with a 2019 poll by the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago revealing that an even split exists between those preferring standard time year-round, permanent DST, and maintaining the current system of switching clocks twice a year.
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), strives to accomplish the same goal for the nation. The bill is currently awaiting a decisive vote in the Senate, with a procedural hurdle preventing its progress, as Senate rules require in-person attendance for certain votes.
- The Texas Senate's decision to adopt permanent daylight saving time could have significant implications for the economy, politics, and general news, as it awaits federal policy-and-legislation changes to take effect.
- The general-news landscape could be impacted if the Sunshine Protection Act, which allows states to adopt daylight saving time year-round, gains significant traction in Congress.
- While the Texas Senate's bill to adopt permanent daylight saving time has generated debate, resembling a division in public opinions regarding the preference for standard time year-round, permanent DST, or maintaining the current system of switching clocks twice a year, a potential federal law change remains crucial for the bill's implementation.
