Lawmakers in Texas and DC have debated ending the practice of changing the clocks twice a year for a long time.
MCALLEN, Texas — Texas lawmakers are reigniting efforts to end the long-standing practice of changing the clocks twice a year.
Several members of both the Texas House and Senate have introduced bills aimed at putting an end to the seasonal tradition of losing an hour of sleep each spring when daylight saving time begins, and then gaining it back in the fall when clocks revert to standard time.
Currently, Texas is on standard time and will switch to daylight saving time on March 9.
Most of the bills propose adopting daylight saving time year-round, a measure that was also pushed in the 2023 legislative session. However, state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, is taking a different approach. Her bill seeks to adopt standard time year-round in Texas, which is the only option permitted under federal law.
If her legislation passes and Congress ever permits states to adopt daylight saving time year-round, voters would have the chance to choose between year-round standard time or daylight saving time.
“The twice-a-year clock change is disruptive and unnecessary,” Zaffirini said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. “Studies have linked these shifts to increased traffic accidents, negative health effects, and decreased productivity.”
Zaffirini’s bill follows similar legislation filed during the 2023 session by Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe. That bill, which sought to adopt daylight saving time year-round, gained bipartisan support in the Texas House but stalled in the Senate.
Metcalf has reintroduced his bill this session to make daylight saving time permanent, arguing for longer, brighter evenings.
“Texas doesn’t need to wait for Washington,” Metcalf said in a news release. “By passing HB 1393, we’ll demonstrate leadership and send a strong message that Texans are ready to move forward.”
Under the Uniform Time Act, states can opt out of daylight saving time and remain on standard time throughout the year. If they do observe daylight saving time, it must start and end on the dates specified by federal law.
That may soon change. U.S. Senators Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, and Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, have reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which would establish daylight saving time as the national standard year-round. A similar bill passed in the U.S. Senate in 2022 but was not brought to a vote in the House.
Former President Donald Trump also pledged in December to end time changes, though he advocated for eliminating daylight saving time specifically.
Americans are divided on whether they prefer to stay on daylight saving time or standard time, though a survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine shows more support for eliminating time changes altogether. Half of respondents supported ending seasonal time changes, 26% opposed it, and 24% were undecided.
Sleep experts argue that standard time is healthier as it aligns more closely with the body’s natural circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep-wake cycles. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, part of the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time, supports this view.
On the other hand, David J. Earnest, a professor at the Texas A&M School of Medicine, believes that the key issue is not which time is adopted, but rather eliminating the biannual changes altogether.
“The key factor is that whatever time you’re on should be consistent from day to day, week to week, and ideally year-round,” Earnest said.
He noted that the time changes can confuse the body, especially in children and the elderly.
Studies have also linked time changes to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, mood disturbances, and hospitalizations, as well as a higher likelihood of traffic accidents, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“These concerns are why so many Texans, including one constituent who directly requested this bill, have expressed frustration with the twice-a-year time change,” Zaffirini said. “SB 64 ensures they have a voice in deciding Texas’ future approach and provides long-term stability.”
