Congress locks nation into permanent daylight time, stripping states of choice

What it does

This bill permanently moves the United States to Daylight Saving Time year-round by amending the 1918 Calder Act to shift all time zones 0.5 hours earlier and repealing the federal rule that allows states to opt out of daylight saving. The effect is that the nation stays on daylight time indefinitely, eliminating the twice-yearly clock changes.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative mechanism is to lock the nation into year-round daylight saving time by adjusting all time-zone offsets uniformly and repealing the federal opt-out provision. It is a straightforward time-policy change, not a tax, appropriation, or regulatory carve-out.

What the text implies

• Eliminates state and local authority to choose standard time, centralizing time policy at the federal level and removing a form of regulatory federalism that has existed since 1966.
• The 0.5-hour uniform shift affects all ten time zones identically, which may create misalignment with international time standards and complicate cross-border commerce and communication.
• Repealing Section 3 of the Uniform Time Act removes the legal basis for Hawaii, most of Arizona, and U.S. territories to remain on standard time year-round, forcing them into daylight time unless they separately opt out via new legislation.
• The 90-day implementation window is very short for a nationwide time change affecting infrastructure, scheduling systems, transportation, and public health; most prior daylight time transitions have had longer lead times.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Permanent daylight time eliminates twice-yearly disruption to sleep, schedules, and health (a concrete benefit), but removes state and local choice to remain on standard time, which some citizens and regions prefer for morning light and circadian alignment. The trade-off is genuine: convenience vs. autonomy.

Named in the bill

Calder Act (Act of March 19, 1918), Uniform Time Act of 1966, U.S. time zones, Hawaii, Arizona, U.S. territories

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.

• Feb 4, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 4, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.