H.R. 139: Sunshine Protection Act of 2025
Sponsor
Vern Buchanan
Republican · FL-16
Keep the later sunsets, drop the twice-a-year clock switch
Why it matters
308 House members voted to stop the clock switch, and H.R. 139 now needs the Senate. It would keep every U.S. time zone on daylight saving time all year, ending the March and November resets, while Hawaii, most of Arizona, and other places that already skip daylight time could keep the clocks they use now.
H.R. 139, the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, runs about a page and does one thing. It would stop the spring-forward, fall-back cycle by keeping every U.S. time zone on daylight saving time for the entire year.
It gets there in two moves. It repeals the federal rule that sets the seasonal switch, then redefines each time zone one hour later. Eastern time, for example, would sit four hours behind Coordinated Universal Time all year instead of dropping back to five hours every November.
The trade-off shows up in winter. Sunsets would come an hour later than they do now, and so would sunrises. In cities on the western edge of a time zone, such as Detroit or Indianapolis, late-December sunrise would land around 9 a.m.
Places that already skip daylight saving time, including Hawaii and most of Arizona, would not be forced to change. They could adopt the new permanent time or keep the clock they use today. If Arizona stays put, it would match Pacific time year-round instead of only in summer.
The bill creates no grants, fines, or new agency. The work lands on anyone who keeps a schedule: airlines, broadcasters, school districts, and software that still expects a twice-yearly switch.
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Jul 15, 2026
Passed the House, received in Senate
H.R. 139 Bill Summary
What H.R. 139 actually does.
The March and November clock changes stop
The bill repeals the federal provision that sets the seasonal daylight saving period, so there is no longer a spring-forward or fall-back date.
Summer time becomes the only time
Each federal time zone is redefined one hour later, all year. Eastern would sit four hours behind Coordinated Universal Time, Central five, Mountain six, and Pacific seven.
Places that already opted out get to choose
States or areas that exempted themselves from daylight saving time before the bill becomes law, such as Hawaii and most of Arizona, can adopt the new permanent time or keep the time they used before.
Every zone moves, not just the lower 48
The bill rewrites all of the federal time-zone definitions, including the zones covering Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories.
Who benefits from H.R. 139?
Anyone who dreads the March time change
The spring switch takes an hour of sleep overnight and throws off routines for days. Under the bill, it would never happen again.
People who want daylight after work or school
Winter sunsets would move an hour later, leaving more light for errands, kids' outdoor sports, and the drive home.
Arizona residents and businesses
If Arizona keeps its current clock, it would line up with California and the rest of Pacific time all year, ending the half-year scheduling mismatch.
Businesses that schedule across the country
Airlines, broadcasters, and national employers would stop resetting timetables and shift schedules twice a year.
Who is affected by H.R. 139?
Early risers, shift workers, and kids at the bus stop
Winter sunrise would come about an hour later by the clock, so more morning commutes and school drop-offs would happen in the dark.
People on the western edge of a time zone
They would see the latest sunrises. In places like Detroit or Indianapolis, late-December sunrise would come around 9 a.m.
School districts
Some may revisit start times or bus routes to deal with darker winter mornings.
Software makers and IT teams
Calendars, scheduling systems, and devices that assume a seasonal switch would need updates to the new time-zone rules.
Hawaii, Arizona, and other opted-out areas
They would need to decide whether to adopt the new permanent time or keep the clock they have now.
What Congress Is Saying
20 legislators have weighed in on H.R. 139 — 11 Democrats, 9 Republicans.
Mr. Speaker, due to an emergency department visit, I missed votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 238, H.R. 139; YEA on Roll Call No. 239, motion to recommit H.R. 1181; and NAY on Roll Call 240, H.R. 1181.
H.R. 139 also appeared in 4 more House floor references and 20 routine cosponsor filings.
HR139 Legislative Journey
Committee Action
Jul 15, 2026
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
House: Passed 308-117
Jul 14, 2026
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 308 - 117 (Roll no. 238). (consideration: CR H4445-4446)
+6 more actions this day
House: Committee Action
Jul 13, 2026
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1423 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 139, H.R. 8595, H.R. 9237 and H.R. 1181. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 139, H.R. 9237, and H.R. 1181 under a closed rule, and H.R. 8595 under a structured rule with one hour of debate and one motion to reconsider on each bill.
House: Committee Action
Jan 3, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
About the Sponsor
Vern Buchanan
Republican, Florida's 16th congressional district · 19 years in Congress
Committees: Joint Committee on Taxation, Ways and Means
View full profile →
Cosponsors (34)
This bill has 34 cosponsors: 3 Democrats, 32 Republicans. Cosponsors represent 19 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, and 16 more.
Ryan Mackenzie
Republican · PA
Brian Fitzpatrick
Republican · PA
Dale Strong
Republican · AL
Daniel Webster
Republican · FL
Warren Davidson
Republican · OH
Maria Salazar
Republican · FL
Daniel Meuser
Republican · PA
Earl Carter
Republican · GA
Stephanie Bice
Republican · OK
Eric Burlison
Republican · MO
Dan Newhouse
Republican · WA
Richard McCormick
Republican · GA
Committee Sponsors
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
0 of 28 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
Energy and Commerce Committee
5 of 54 committee members cosponsored
41 Republicans across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 139 change?
1 changes
Sections Repealed
3 of Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 260a)
H.R. 139 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Introduced
- Jan 3, 2025
Passed the House, received in Senate
Jul 15, 2026
Official Sources
Bill status, full text, the 308-117 House vote, and the Senate committee referral.
The official published text of H.R. 139 as introduced, with PDF and XML downloads.
The March-to-November clock-change rule that H.R. 139 repeals, including the provision letting states opt out.
The statute setting each zone's offset from Coordinated Universal Time, which H.R. 139 moves one hour later.
The Department of Transportation regulations that draw the official lines between U.S. time zones.
The federal timekeeping agency's explanation of current daylight saving dates and which places do not observe them.
Background on how U.S. local time and time zones are set, and why Hawaii and most of Arizona skip daylight saving time.
The Senate committee now holding H.R. 139 after House passage.
H.R. 139 Common Questions
Did H.R. 139 pass?
It passed the House 308-117 on July 14, 2026, but it is not law yet. The bill now sits with the Senate Commerce Committee, and the Senate has to pass it before it can go to the President.
Does H.R. 139 make daylight saving time or standard time permanent?
Daylight saving time. Your clock would stay on the summer setting all year, so you'd never fall back in November or spring forward in March.
What time would the sun rise in winter under permanent daylight saving time?
About an hour later than today. In cities on the western edge of a time zone, like Detroit or Indianapolis, late-December sunrise would come around 9 a.m. Winter sunsets would move an hour later too.
Would Arizona and Hawaii have to change their clocks?
No. Places that already skip daylight saving time could keep their current clocks or adopt the new permanent time. If Arizona stays put, it would match Pacific time all year.
When would the clock changes stop if H.R. 139 becomes law?
The bill sets no delayed start date, so it would take effect once signed. If that happened during daylight saving time, clocks would simply never fall back.
Has the U.S. tried permanent daylight saving time before?
Yes. During the 1974 energy crisis, Congress put the country on year-round daylight time. Dark winter mornings made it unpopular, and Congress reversed it before the year was out.
Didn't the Senate already pass the Sunshine Protection Act?
The Senate passed an earlier version by unanimous consent in March 2022, but the House never voted on it and it expired. H.R. 139 is a new bill, so the Senate has to act again.
Who opposes making daylight saving time permanent?
Some sleep-medicine groups, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, argue permanent standard time better fits the body's natural clock. In the House, 117 members voted no.
Based on H.R. 139 bill text
H.R. 139 Bill Text
“To make daylight savings time permanent, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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