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U.S. Senate Unanimously Votes to Make Daylight Savings Permanent in 2023

A great number of Americans got some good news Tuesday afternoon out of the United States government. The U.S. Senate passed a bill that would effectively keep Daylight Savings Time in effect all of the time. Instead of switching clocks either an hour ahead or an hour behind twice a year, this bill, if passed by the U.S. House and signed into law by President Joe Biden clocks would remain as they are now.

What to Know:

  • The U.S. Senate passes bill that would make Daylight Savings Time permanent
  • Senator Marco Rubio (R., FL) said that it would not be implemented until the fall of 2023
  • Bill still needs to pass the House and signed by Preisdent Joe Biden

However, Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R.) noted that if the House and President Biden pass and sign the bill, respectively, then it will not go into effect until the fall of 2023. The reason was that airlines and broadcasters gave their input and suggested that timeframe, Reuters reports.

Still, it is an exciting time for a number of Americans who have wanted to see the status quo changed for some time now.

Increased Support for Permanent Daylight Savings Time

The debate about a permanent Daylight Savings Time is a fascinating one. It’s one that folks have been debating for many years now. For instance, a professor at the University of Washington, Steve P. Calandrillo, spoke about this very thing not too long ago. He said, “Simply put, darkness kills.”

There is a real concern about the daylight hours being shorter from a safety perspective. It adds more time for folks driving in the dark versus the light. That is inherently more dangerous than driving with sunlight. He continued, “And darkness in the evening is far deadlier than darkness in the morning. The evening rush hour is twice as fatal as the morning for various reasons—far more people are on the road, more alcohol is in drivers’ bloodstream, people are hurrying home, and more children are enjoying outdoor, unsupervised play.”

There are already inherently more risks regarding nighttime driving. The added element of daylight shrinking only exacerbates that problem, according to Calandrillo. So, the added benefit of making Daylight Savings Time permanent occurs in a multitude of ways.

Florida Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis said, “While [seasonal time changes] may be easy for devices, it is not so much for our bodies…The toll on our bodies can be severe. This is a topic I continue to hear about from my constituents.” It is also just hard on the human body. As Rep. Bilirakis points out, it’s not just the driving aspect, it’s the sleeping aspect, too. It places a heavy toll on folks to have to change their sleeping pattern every weekend twice each year. If this bill passes, this will no longer be the case. Still, the bill needs to be passed by the House and signed into law by President Biden before any next steps are taken.

This is a developing story…