For years, lawmakers have discussed eliminating the clock changes associated with daylight saving time. Some proposals have called for making daylight saving time year-round, while others have suggested keeping standard time throughout the year.
A new proposal would keep daylight saving time but shift clocks by only 30 minutes.
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., has introduced legislation that would move clocks forward by 30 minutes each spring and back by 30 minutes each fall.
RELATED STORY | Deer collisions increase by 16% in the week following time change, study finds
The bill would not affect sunrise and sunset times in winter. In summer, however, sunrises and sunsets would each occur 30 minutes earlier than under the current system.
Daylight saving time was implemented as a way to conserve energy. While Americans save some energy in the evening with more daylight, research has found the benefit is offset by increased energy use in the morning.
President Richard Nixon implemented year-round daylight saving time in 1974 during an energy crisis. The policy ended in 1975 when Congress established the current system, allowing more daylight for winter mornings so people could go to work and school in sunlight.
A late 2025 AP–NORC poll found a plurality of Americans oppose changing clocks. Twelve percent of respondents supported the current system of moving clocks back in November and forward in March, while 47% opposed it and 40% were neutral.
RELATED STORY | Why are clocks set forward in the spring for daylight saving time?
Congress has debated ending the clock changes for years. The closest it came was in March 2022, when the Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent. The measure passed under unanimous consent, meaning no senator objected—though that does not necessarily indicate broad support.
President Donald Trump has said he supports permanent daylight saving time but has called it a “50/50 issue.”
Adopting a 30-minute shift could put the United States in a unique time zone. Most of the world’s time zones are offset by an hour, but there are exceptions. The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador is 30 minutes ahead of Atlantic time. Other examples include parts of central Australia, which are 30 minutes behind the country’s East Coast.
Daylight saving time begins in the U.S. on March 8.
