It’s about time to once again adjust the clocks, with Sunday being the latest installment of daylight saving time.
But this year, one big question is hovering over the nation as people prepare to adjust clocks: Is this the last time we’ll ever “spring forward.”
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In March 2022, the U.S. Senate passed what is known as the Sunshine Protection Act, which would end the twice-a-year ritual of changing clocks by making one set time permanent after the nation springs forward again on Sunday.
In essence, it would be the last time to ever change clocks again.
But not so fast.
The bill never made it to the House of Representatives for a vote after the process hit a “brick wall,” according to a July article by the The Hill.
The article said fundamental disagreements with the language of the bill — such as whether daylight saving or standard should be the permanent time — and the House having other priorities were the main reasons why the Sunshine Protection Act hit a snag.
When the bill was passed by the Senate, the White House declined to state its position on whether it supported the bill or not.
Last week, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act in the Senate. Time will tell if the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives will vote on the bill.
It definitely is an issue that has mixed opinions.
For states in the northern half of the United States and countries in the northern hemisphere that endure cold winter months, having an extra hour of daylight at night in the summer allows people to further enjoy recreational activities, such as walking in a park or downtown area, golfing, fishing, biking or hiking.
Daylight saving time can also be a moneymaker for businesses, according to NPR. There’s a theory that extra daylight gives people more incentive to go shopping on their way home from work. The article states that one of the biggest proponents of daylight saving time is various Chamber of Commerce offices.
On the other side, farmers have lobbied against daylight saving time in the past, saying that the lost hour of daylight in the morning disrupts getting crops to the market and makes it hard to adjust the body clocks of livestock, according to the website Simply Grazin.’
In addition, southern states that have hotter summers generally prefer to have an hour less of daylight during those months.
There are also reports that on the Monday following daylight saving time for the spring, the risk of heart attacks and car accidents can increase due to the lost hour of sleep.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine also has called for the end of Daylight Saving Time for the sake of people’s health and well-being.
What are your thoughts on the Sunshine Protection Act? Let us know in the comments below.