Permanent Standard Time is back at the center of the U.S. debate over whether Americans should stop changing their clocks twice a year. In July 2026, bipartisan lawmakers introduced a new proposal that would make standard time the nationwide default, while the House separately passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.
As of September 6, 2026, permanent standard time has not become federal law. The competing proposals remain part of a broader congressional debate over whether the United States should keep changing clocks, adopt permanent daylight saving time, or move to permanent standard time.
What Is Permanent Standard Time?
Permanent Standard Time means keeping the clocks on standard time throughout the entire year instead of switching to daylight saving time during the spring and summer.
Under the current U.S. system, most states use:
- Standard Time during the late fall and winter.
- Daylight Saving Time (DST) during the spring and summer.
- A one-hour clock change twice each year.
Permanent standard time would eliminate the springtime move forward and keep the country on the standard-time schedule year-round.
For example, Eastern Standard Time is UTC−5, while Eastern Daylight Time is UTC−4. Under permanent standard time, the Eastern time zone would remain five hours behind Coordinated Universal Time throughout the year.
Latest Permanent Standard Time Update in 2026
The most important development for permanent standard time came on July 9, 2026, when Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., and Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., introduced the Sunshine for Our Kids Act of 2026.
The bill, H.R. 9638, would make standard time the national default while allowing states to choose permanent daylight saving time through state legislation. The measure was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The legislation was introduced as an alternative to proposals that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide.
That distinction is important because the two approaches would produce very different winter sunrise and sunset schedules.
What Happened to the Permanent Daylight Saving Time Bill?
The House took a different approach in July.
On July 14, 2026, the House passed H.R. 139, the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, by a vote of 308-117. The bill would make daylight saving time permanent, eliminating the twice-yearly clock change for most of the country.
The bill then moved to the Senate.
The official U.S. Government Publishing Office record shows that H.R. 139 was received in the Senate, read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on July 15, 2026.
The Senate committee’s legislation page continues to list the Sunshine Protection Act with that referral as its latest action.
Therefore, the House vote did not make daylight saving time permanent.
The bill still requires Senate action and presidential approval before it can become law.
Permanent Standard Time vs. Permanent Daylight Saving Time
The debate is not simply about whether to stop changing clocks. It is also about which time should remain in effect all year.
| Issue | Permanent Standard Time | Permanent Daylight Saving Time |
|---|---|---|
| Clock changes | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Winter mornings | Earlier sunrise | Later sunrise |
| Winter evenings | Earlier sunset | Later sunset |
| Morning light | More | Less |
| Evening daylight | Less | More |
| Main argument | Better alignment with natural light | More usable evening daylight |
| 2026 proposal | Sunshine for Our Kids Act | Sunshine Protection Act |
The choice has significant consequences, particularly in northern and western parts of the United States.
Why Supporters Want Permanent Standard Time
Supporters of permanent standard time argue that the clock should remain closer to the natural solar cycle.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has consistently supported permanent standard time. Its position is based on evidence concerning circadian rhythms, sleep and health.
The basic argument is that morning light is an important signal for the body’s internal clock.
When daylight is delayed in the morning, people may receive less natural light during the period when their bodies are preparing for daytime activity.
Supporters therefore argue that permanent standard time could provide:
- More natural morning light.
- Better alignment with circadian biology.
- Safer morning travel conditions.
- Better conditions for children traveling to school.
- More consistent sleep schedules.
- An end to the disruption caused by twice-yearly clock changes.
The AASM specifically says the United States should eliminate seasonal time changes in favor of permanent standard time because it better aligns with human circadian biology.
Why Some Lawmakers Support Permanent Daylight Saving Time
The competing argument focuses heavily on evening daylight.
Supporters of the Sunshine Protection Act say Americans benefit from having more daylight after work and school.
The House legislation would make the daylight-saving schedule permanent rather than returning to standard time in the fall. House supporters have argued that permanent daylight saving time could provide greater consistency and more evening daylight for families, outdoor activities and businesses.
The House vote demonstrated substantial bipartisan support, with 308 representatives voting in favor and 117 voting against.
However, the House action does not settle the national debate because the Senate has not yet approved the legislation.
Why Permanent Standard Time Is Being Discussed Again
The renewed permanent-standard-time debate comes partly because lawmakers disagree over what should replace the current system.
Representative Scanlon’s Sunshine for Our Kids Act was introduced only days before the House considered the Sunshine Protection Act.
The bill would repeal the federal provision establishing seasonal daylight saving time and make standard time the default. States would retain the ability to choose daylight saving time under the proposal.
This creates a fundamentally different approach from H.R. 139.
Rather than forcing the entire country onto permanent daylight saving time, H.R. 9638 would establish permanent standard time as the default while allowing states to make their own choice.
What Does Permanent Standard Time Mean for Winter Sunrises?
The biggest practical difference would appear during winter.
Permanent daylight saving time would keep clocks one hour ahead of standard time throughout winter. That would produce later winter sunrises.
Permanent standard time would do the opposite: clocks would remain on the schedule currently used during winter.
This matters particularly in northern states, where winter daylight is already limited.
During House debate, supporters of permanent standard time warned that permanent daylight saving time could push winter sunrise considerably later in some northern communities. The Congressional Record included examples of potentially very late winter sunrises in parts of the northern United States.
Does Permanent Standard Time Mean No More Clock Changes?
Yes.
If the United States adopted permanent standard time nationwide, the country would no longer move clocks forward in the spring or backward in the fall.
The same basic principle applies to permanent daylight saving time: it would also eliminate the twice-yearly clock change.
The central difference is which clock setting becomes permanent.
What States Already Use Permanent Standard Time?
Two states currently remain on standard time year-round:
- Arizona, with an exception for the Navajo Nation.
- Hawaii.
Most of the rest of the United States observes daylight saving time for part of the year.
Federal law currently prevents most states from independently adopting permanent daylight saving time. This is why congressional action remains important for states seeking to permanently change their time system.
What Is the Status of the Sunshine for Our Kids Act?
As of September 6, 2026, H.R. 9638 remains a House proposal.
Its latest official action is its introduction on July 9 and referral to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. There is no indication in the latest official record that it has passed the House or Senate.
That means the permanent-standard-time proposal has not advanced as far legislatively as the Sunshine Protection Act.
The Coalition for Permanent Standard Time welcomed H.R. 9638 and called its introduction a significant step toward ending the twice-yearly clock changes while choosing standard time rather than daylight saving time.
What Does the Sleep Community Say?
The sleep-medicine community has been one of the strongest institutional supporters of permanent standard time.
The AASM supported the introduction of the Sunshine for Our Kids Act in July 2026, saying the proposal would better support healthy sleep, safer mornings and learning conditions for students.
After the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act, the AASM criticized the decision and urged the Senate to reject permanent daylight saving time.
The organization therefore supports ending seasonal clock changes but prefers permanent standard time rather than permanent daylight saving time.
Could Permanent Standard Time Become Law in 2026?
It is possible, but there is currently no enacted federal law establishing permanent standard time.
The competing legislative situation makes the issue particularly complicated.
The House has already passed H.R. 139, which favors permanent daylight saving time. Meanwhile, H.R. 9638 favors permanent standard time as the national default.
For permanent standard time to become federal law, the proposal would need to advance through Congress and ultimately receive presidential approval.
As of the latest verified information available on September 6, 2026, that has not happened.
Will Americans Still Change Their Clocks in 2026?
Yes, under current federal law.
Unless Congress changes the law and the resulting legislation takes effect, most Americans remain scheduled to follow the existing seasonal system.
The 2026 fall transition is scheduled for November 1, 2026, when most Americans will move their clocks back one hour to standard time.
The recent House passage of H.R. 139 does not by itself cancel that transition.
Permanent Standard Time vs. the Current System
For Americans, the choice can be summarized simply:
Current system: Change clocks twice each year.
Permanent Standard Time: Stop changing clocks and remain on standard time.
Permanent Daylight Saving Time: Stop changing clocks and remain on daylight saving time.
The policy debate in Washington is now focused on which of these three systems should ultimately prevail.
Why the 2026 Debate Matters
The issue has moved beyond the familiar question of whether people like changing their clocks.
In 2026, Congress is actively considering competing permanent-time policies.
The House has approved permanent daylight saving time, while a bipartisan House proposal seeks to establish permanent standard time as the default. At the same time, medical organizations continue to argue that standard time better aligns with human circadian biology.
That means the permanent-standard-time debate is likely to remain relevant as Congress considers what happens next.
Bottom Line
Permanent Standard Time would keep the United States on the standard-time schedule all year and eliminate the spring and fall clock changes.
The latest 2026 development is the Sunshine for Our Kids Act, introduced in July by bipartisan House members to make standard time the national default while allowing states to choose daylight saving time.
However, the more advanced House proposal currently favors the opposite approach. H.R. 139, the Sunshine Protection Act, passed the House 308-117 and would make daylight saving time permanent. It is now in the Senate Commerce Committee and has not become law.
As of September 6, 2026, permanent standard time is not U.S. law, and Americans should continue following the existing clock-change system unless Congress and the president approve a change.
The permanent standard time debate is still unfolding—share your view on which system the U.S. should adopt and stay updated as Congress considers its next move.