Clock Change Coming Nov. 2 as Congress Stalls on Permanent DST Plans

Fall Back? Spring Forward?
What Tennesseans Need to Know About Daylight Saving Time

Should Tennessee Make Standard Time Permanent?

Congress Debates Ending Clock Changes—Again

In less than a few weeks, we’ll set our clocks back an hour as daylight saving time ends on Nov. 2. But if some lawmakers get their way, this could be the last time we go through this ritual.

Four daylight saving time bills are currently sitting in Congress, all stuck in committee. Two would put the entire country on permanent daylight saving time, while the other two would let states decide for themselves. One bill needs a revote, but none have gained real traction.

The most prominent effort is the Sunshine Protection Act, introduced in both the House and Senate this January. The bill has an interesting history: then-Senator Marco Rubio pushed it multiple times while representing Florida, achieving his biggest success in 2021 when it passed the Senate with bipartisan support. The House, however, never moved it forward.

This year, Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) reintroduced the House version, while Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) took over the Senate version after Rubio became Secretary of State. Both Tennessee senators—Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty—support the legislation.

The challenge? While federal bills focus on permanent daylight saving time, state efforts are all over the map. Some states want permanent daylight saving, others prefer permanent standard time, and many are simply asking Congress to make a decision so they can move forward.

For now, Tennesseans should plan on setting those clocks back come November.

When we turn our clocks back on Nov. 2, gaining that coveted extra hour of sleep, Tennessee has an opportunity to make a healthier choice for all its residents: keep them there. While our state legislators passed a law calling for year-round daylight saving time, research suggests they may have been looking in the wrong direction. The healthier option—one that Tennessee could actually implement without waiting on Congress—is to lock the clocks on permanent standard time instead.

Here’s what most Tennesseans don’t realize: our state already has the power to make this change. Unlike year-round daylight saving time, which requires federal approval that may never come, Tennessee can choose permanent standard time tomorrow if legislators wanted to. Hawaii and Arizona have already done it, freeing their residents from the biannual time-change ritual that disrupts sleep patterns, increases health risks, and serves no real purpose in modern society.

The science backs this up. A Stanford study suggests Americans would be healthier without daylight saving time, and health experts increasingly point to standard time—not daylight saving time—as the better choice for human biology. Our bodies are designed to wake with the sun, and standard time aligns better with our natural circadian rhythms. It’s time for Tennessee legislators to hear from constituents: stop waiting on Congress to approve a plan that may never happen, and choose the option that’s both available and healthier. Keep the clocks turned back this November, and make standard time permanent.

You’ve probably noticed the signs: kids heading back to school, NFL Sundays are back, and those leaves are starting to turn. Fall is definitely here, which means it’s almost time for that twice-yearly ritual we all love to complain about—changing our clocks.

This year, we’ll be “falling back” to standard time on Nov. 2, one of the earliest possible dates for the switch. That means setting your clocks back an hour before bed (unless your phone does it for you), giving you an extra hour of sleep but robbing you of that precious evening daylight.

Tennessee Wants Out—But There’s a Catch

Here’s something you might not know: Tennessee is actually one of ten states that has already passed legislation to stay on daylight saving time year-round. Our state lawmakers voted for it, wanting to lock the clocks and avoid this whole spring-forward, fall-back dance.

So why are we still changing our clocks? The answer is simple: Congress.

While states are technically allowed to “lock their clocks,” federal law only permits them to choose permanent *standard* time. Hawaii and most of Arizona have taken that option. But if a state wants to stay on daylight saving time all year—which is what Tennessee and nine other states want—they need permission from Congress.

The Growing Movement

Tennessee isn’t alone in this fight. Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Delaware, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, and Maine have all passed similar laws. They’re all waiting on the same thing: federal approval.

Florida kicked off this movement back in 2018, becoming the first state to call for year-round daylight saving time. Since then, the dominoes have been falling, with states across the country saying they’ve had enough of the time changes.

Some states have added conditions to their laws. Delaware, for instance, said it would only make the switch if Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania did the same (so far, none of those states have passed the legislation). Wyoming said it would need three neighboring states to join them.

California voters actually approved giving their legislators the power to lock the clocks back in 2018, but the state government still hasn’t followed through.

What’s Happening in Washington?

Four bills related to daylight saving time have been introduced in Congress this session. Two would put the entire country on year-round daylight saving time. The other two would simply allow states to make that choice themselves.

All four bills have been sent to committee, and one requires a revote. In other words, they’re stuck in the usual legislative limbo.

Research from Stanford suggests Americans could actually be healthier without the time changes, adding fuel to the argument for making a permanent switch.

The Bottom Line

Unless something dramatic happens in Washington between now and November, Tennesseans will be setting their clocks back an hour on Nov. 2. You’ll gain an hour of sleep that night, but you’ll be driving home from work in the dark a lot sooner than you’d probably like.

For now, the only Americans who don’t have to deal with this are folks in Hawaii and most of Arizona. The rest of us? We wait, and we keep changing our clocks twice a year.

At least you’ll get that extra hour of sleep in November… It’s something.