A bill backed by President Trump that would make daylight saving time permanent — leading to later sunsets in the dead of winter — is gaining momentum and bipartisan support.
The US House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act on Tuesday evening, which could make the twice-yearly ritual of changing the clocks a thing of the past. On Monday, the monumental bill had cleared a key House hurdle — with the House Rules Committee approving the rule in a 6-4 vote.
Trump has signaled his support for the bill, writing in a Truth Social post that it would be a “very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it!”
What is the Sunshine Protection Act?
The House and Senate versions of the bill both seek to make daylight saving time permanent. This would eliminate the biannual time change in the Spring and Fall — a practice currently followed by every US state except Hawaii and parts of Arizona.
Under the bill, Americans would spring the clocks forward in March and skip “falling back” in November.
Language from the bill, which Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Florida) introduced, was already included in a broader transportation proposal in May that passed by roll call vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Proponents have argued that sparing Americans from the biannual time change would boost outdoor recreation, tourism, and economic activity, and lessen negative impacts on sleep and seasonal depression.
Detractors have said the switch would greatly impact farmers who would have to cope with later sunrises.
- Morning and Evening Commutes: Permanent DST would mean later sunrises in winter (e.g., sunrise after 8 AM in some regions) and later sunsets. This could shift peak commuting times, affecting when people listen to radio during drive-time slots (typically 6-9 AM and 4-7 PM). Stations might need to adjust programming schedules to align with new commuting patterns. One unlikely groups against this idea is National Religious Broadcasters. Why? Because a reduction of morning daylight means more time on reduced power for AM radio stations.
- Evening Listening: Extended evening daylight could increase outdoor activities, potentially reducing evening radio listenership as people spend more time outside rather than indoors with radios or streaming devices.
- Morning Shows: With darker mornings, listeners may wake up later or feel less engaged early in the day, prompting stations to tweak morning show formats or timing to maintain audience engagement.
- Seasonal Content: Radio stations often tailor content to seasonal events or daylight-driven activities (e.g., summer playlists or winter holiday programming). Year-round DST could blur these distinctions, requiring more flexible programming strategies.
- Audience Measurement: Radio ratings depend on listener data, which could shift with new daily routines under permanent DST. Advertisers may demand updated metrics to reflect these changes, affecting ad rates and revenue.
- Retail and Event Ads: Extended evening daylight could boost ads for outdoor events, retail, or dining, as businesses capitalize on longer evenings. Radio stations might see increased demand for evening ad slots.
- Broadcast Scheduling: Stations synchronized with network programming or satellite feeds might face challenges if national schedules don't align with local time perceptions under permanent DST. This could require renegotiating syndication agreements.
- Energy Costs: Later sunsets might reduce lighting costs for studios but could increase energy use for evening broadcasts if staff work later hours.
- Regional Variations: The impact would vary by geography. Northern regions with extreme daylight shifts (e.g., Alaska or the Upper Midwest) might see more pronounced effects on listener behavior than southern regions with milder changes (e.g., Florida or Texas).