US House clears bill to permanently adopt daylight saving time

Washington, July 15 (IANS) The US House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent, moving the country closer to ending the twice-yearly ritual of changing clocks.

The Sunshine Protection Act now goes to the Senate for consideration. If approved there, it would be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.

The legislation would establish permanent daylight saving time across the United States. States that have already exempted themselves from observing daylight saving time, including Arizona and Hawaii, could remain on permanent standard time.

“Millions of Americans across the country have asked Congress to reevaluate the current system of changing our clocks twice a year,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie said.

“Today’s bipartisan vote to ‘lock the clock’ is a response to the advocacy of our constituents and the evidence that year-round daylight saving time boosts economic activity and improves public safety,” he said.

The proposal had earlier been included in the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act. It cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a vote of 48-1.

Supporters said permanent daylight saving time would provide more usable sunlight in the evening. They argued that it could improve road safety, encourage outdoor exercise and help local businesses and the tourism industry.

“The Sunshine Protection Act shifts one hour of sunlight from the beginning to the end of the day in the winter,” Guthrie said during the House debate.

“In practice, that means more time for people to exercise outside, visit family, attend concerts and sporting events, attract customers to their retail businesses, and more,” he said.

Republican Congressman Gus Bilirakis of Florida said the practice of changing clocks twice a year was outdated and disruptive.

“Establishing permanent daylight saving time will provide Americans with greater consistency, more usable daylight in the evening, and the certainty that comes with ending the twice-yearly clock changes,” Bilirakis said. “Americans are ready to ditch the switch.”

The measure also drew Democratic support. Frank Pallone Jr., the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, said only 12 per cent of Americans preferred changing their clocks twice a year.

He said the time change disrupted sleep, particularly among young children, and was associated with higher rates of heart attacks and strokes in the days immediately after clocks were changed.

“Stopping the twice-yearly time change benefits the health and well-being of all Americans,” Pallone said.

He also cited research from the Brookings Institution showing that criminal incidents decreased during the additional hour of evening sunlight following the springtime change. Pallone said 19 states had already voted to adopt permanent daylight saving time if federal law was changed.

Under current US law, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Clocks are moved forward by one hour in spring and turned back by one hour in autumn.

States may choose to remain on standard time throughout the year, as Arizona and Hawaii do. They cannot independently adopt permanent daylight saving time without a change in federal law.

–IANS

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