2 states approved permanent standard time. Others are hoping to do the same

(NEXSTAR) — Much of the U.S. is now officially on daylight saving time, with clocks jumping forward an hour early Sunday morning.

While you lost an hour of sleep, those living in two states were entirely unaffected.

Hawaii and much of Arizona have long exempted themselves from the biannual changing of the clocks. They observe standard time year-round, and if you’ve visited either, you can understand why.

Dozens of other states have tried to lock their clocks in recent years, including the nearly 20 that have enacted laws calling for permanent daylight saving time. However, federal law only allows states to opt for permanent standard time (though legislation introduced in Congress last year could change that).

Though many state-level efforts have focused on permanent daylight saving time, legislation for permanent standard time remains under consideration in more than a dozen states.

That includes bills in Alaska, California, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. In some cases, the legislation has been carried over from the previous session.

In Virginia, a bill that would put the state on standard time year-round passed through the Senate in February. The House Rules committee voted last week to carry it over to its 2027 session. The bill calls for Virginia’s clocks to lock so long as those in the District of Columbia and Maryland do the same. Local officials in the District of Columbia have considered such legislation, while no seasonal time change bills have been introduced in Maryland during the current session.

A similar bill introduced in Illinois depends on Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin also opting into permanent standard time. Missouri and Wisconsin lawmakers are considering such bills, while current legislation in Iowa would make daylight saving time permanent.

Year-round standard time bills are also under consideration in Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Washington, where permanent daylight saving time bills have already been signed into law.

Health experts generally agree that we should lock our clocks on permanent standard time, but federal efforts have largely focused on making daylight saving time permanent.

There are five bills in Congress – two for permanent daylight saving, two to leave the decision to the states, and one calling for half-daylight saving time – that remain in committees.

It’s too soon to say whether Congress will pass any of the bills that have been introduced, or whether any additional state-level laws will be enacted.

Without any wide-sweeping action, our clocks will fall back an hour on November 1 – the earliest possible date for daylight saving time to end.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

More Nexstar Media Wire News News

Tillis calls on Miller to depart White House: ‘Out of his depth’ 

Trump says he won’t sign any bills into law until SAVE America Act passes

As DOJ lawyers face complaints, agency seeks tighter grasp on state bar ethics ...

Trump rejects UK's offer to send aircraft carriers to Middle East: 'We will ...

Tillis: Republicans have ‘lost the debate’ on immigration

Seventh US service member dies in Iran conflict

Catalytic converter theft is back. Here’s who’s being targeted

Talarico turns toward general as Texas GOP Senate primary heads to runoff 

19 states approved permanent daylight saving time. Why they still have to ...

Kennedy: Noem was ‘dead as fried chicken’ after Senate hearing

Senate Republican says Trump’s Iran strikes could impact China, Russia

Daines’s last-minute retirement maneuver leaves Capitol Hill stunned — and ...

America’s military has an Iranian drone problem

Trump Accounts: IRS announces rules proposal for $1K payments

Judge voids layoffs at VOA, rules Kari Lake unlawfully ran US media agency

Trump faces economic squeeze as Iran conflict escalates

House Republican files for reelection as independent after California ...

What we know about Noem’s new ‘Shield of the Americas’ role

© The Hill