Each spring, we sacrifice an hour of sleep for sunnier evenings, and every fall, we get that sleep back but have to endure pitch-black commutes. However, the U.S. House has recently passed legislation that could permanently end our twice-a-year clock change.
In a bipartisan move Tuesday, the House voted 308 to 117 to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. Introduced by Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan, the bill would allow individual states to use permanent standard time, which is what Hawaii and most of Arizona do.
How will this change Miami sunsets and sunrises?
If the Sunshine Protection Act becomes law, our summers will stay the same while our winters shift to one hour later. Around December and January, sunrise would fall around 8 a.m. and sunset at around 6:30 p.m.
What are the pros and cons of permanent daylight saving?
According to CBS News,
“Proponents of the bill argue the change would have positive impacts on sleep schedules, people’s health and the economy, and would allow Americans to have more daylight hours in the evening throughout the year. Its critics say extended darkness in the morning hours of winter would have negative effects on health and safety.”
What happens next?
Now that the bill has successfully cleared the House, it moves to the Senate. If passed and signed by President Trump, who has signaled strong support for the bill, the law would likely not take effect immediately to allow major industries to adjust their schedules.
So, for now, Florida is continuing with its normal schedule and will set those clocks back in November. If you’re interested in reading about other laws that have recently gone into effect in the Sunshine State, you can find the full list here.
