Daylight saving time (DST) will begin on March 9, 2025, when Ohioans and most of the nation will “spring forward” and lose an hour of sleep.
Under a 59-year-old federal law, the entire U.S. is required to observe DST, though states like Arizona and Hawaii are exceptions.
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established the practice of DST nationwide, but states are allowed to exempt themselves from switching to standard time year-round.
However, the law does not permit states to adopt permanent DST, meaning that while they can stay on standard time year-round, they cannot remain on daylight saving time throughout the entire year.
In the past six years, 20 states, including Ohio, have passed legislation or resolutions supporting the idea of year-round daylight saving time.
This week, Ohio State Senator Kyle Koehler introduced a resolution calling on Congress to make DST permanent.
A similar resolution was introduced by Ohio State Representative Rodney Creech in 2023.
While Creech’s bill passed the House, it stalled in the Senate, marking the second time his efforts were unsuccessful.
He had also proposed a similar bill in 2021, which passed the House but died in the Senate.
On a national level, there have been various attempts to change the country’s approach to DST.
Senator Marco Rubio (formerly a senator, now head of the State Department) proposed the “Sunshine Protection Act,” which aimed to establish permanent daylight saving time across the U.S. However, this bill, along with other similar proposals, has never gained enough traction to become law.
Even President Donald Trump has voiced support for eliminating the biannual practice of switching the clocks.
In a December social media post, he called for the end of daylight saving time.
Despite multiple efforts from lawmakers, DST remains a topic of ongoing debate as states like Ohio continue to push for change.
As the clock turns forward this March, many wonder whether the push for permanent daylight saving time will finally gain the political support needed to end the twice-a-year time change.
