Latest news with #HB1393
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
It's About Time: State Law On Ending Biannual Clock Change
Texas is poised to adopt permanent daylight saving time, dubbed 'Texas Time,' after the state Senate passed House Bill 1393 last week with a 27-4 vote. The measure will now be sent to Gov. Greg Abbott for his expected signature. However, the change hinges on federal approval, as current law prohibits states from staying on daylight saving time year-round. HB 1393, introduced by Rep. Will Metcalf (R-Conroe), aims to end the twice-yearly clock changes that many Texans find disruptive. The bill, which cleared the Texas House in April, would permanently keep the state on daylight saving time (DST), extending evening daylight hours. 'The bill would provide numerous benefits to Texans,' said Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), who sponsored the measure in the Senate. 'It's very difficult to use that hour before an 8 a.m. start for school or work very effectively, but you can use the several hours later, up through dusk.' Under the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966, states can opt for permanent standard time, as Arizona and Hawaii do, but not permanent daylight saving time without Congressional action. 'Right now, the federal government does not allow the states to make this change, so this is effectively a trigger bill,' Bettencourt said. Texas joins 18 other states, including Florida and Oklahoma, that have passed similar measures awaiting federal permission. The Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to adopt permanent daylight saving time, has been introduced in Congress five times, most recently in 2025, but has not passed. Critics, like Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas), argue that permanent daylight saving time poses health and safety risks. 'Everybody hates the time change,' Johnson said. 'But this has been studied medically, and there is a ton of health risks.' He cited disruptions to circadian rhythms and potential increases in pre-dawn traffic accidents, referencing the U.S.'s failed 1974 experiment with year-round daylight saving time, which was repealed after public backlash. 'The question is: Do we go with daylight saving time and always be an hour ahead of where we established our clock centuries ago? Or do we go back to what we've done for centuries?' Johnson said. Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) proposed permanent standard time and, alongside Bettencourt, suggested a referendum to let Texans choose. Still, neither idea gained traction among the 13 time-related bills filed this session. A 2019 AP-NORC poll found that 40% of Americans favor permanent standard time, 31% prefer permanent daylight saving time, and 28% want to keep the current system. Public comments on HB 1393 at a hearing in the House largely favored ending the biannual clock change, but most commenters favored a return to permanent standard time rather than permanent daylight saving time. Frisco resident Shannon Stewart said, 'Daylight Saving Time is dangerous for children, and HORRIBLE for our health. It disrupts our bodies' circadian rhythm. Additionally, DST has been mandated by an overreaching government before (1972) and was so hated that it was repealed. We need PERMANENT Standard Time.' 'Dictating artificial daylight savings is not the job of government,' Stewart continued. 'Noon should be when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, not at a time appointed by government.' Dr. Audrey Nath, a neurologist in Houston, urged legislators to oppose HB 1393 and instead support HB 1733, HB 1736, or SB 692, which all propose permanent standard time. 'President Nixon had put Permanent DST into effect in 1974, and it was retracted within a year. We do not need to run this experiment again in Texas,' Nath said. 'There are more heart attacks with DST. With permanent Standard Time, there is improved visibility for driving during the morning commute, and better sleep and circadian rhythms. Permanent Standard Time would have a tangible positive effect on the health of Texans.' Globally, only about a third of countries observe daylight saving time, primarily in Europe and North America, according to the Pew Research Center. In the past decade, nations like Azerbaijan, Iran, and Mexico have abolished the practice, often citing health concerns. Egypt, which ended it in 2014, reinstated it in 2023 for energy savings. Then-president-elect Donald Trump and allies like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have previously called for ending clock changes. In December, Trump labeled the practice 'inconvenient' and 'very costly' on social media. If signed by Abbott and approved by Congress, HB 1393 would align Texas with a growing movement to stabilize timekeeping, though its implementation remains uncertain pending federal action.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Could Texas have daylight saving time year-round?
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Last month, the Texas House passed a bill that would keep daylight saving time year-round in Texas. With the bill on its way to the Senate floor, it has a real chance of becoming law. Even if passed, however, the bill has a caveat. It will only go into effect if the United States Congress enacts legislation that allows the state to observe daylight saving year-round. If no legislation is passed, the bill will not go into effect. This comes as part of the Uniform Time Act, a federal law that establishes uniform daylight saving time throughout the nation. States have the option to opt-out of daylight saving time and remain on standard time year-round, which is what Arizona and Hawaii established. But the act prevents states from establishing permanent daylight saving or changing their time zones without federal approval. HB 1393 is a repeat of last session's push by the bill's author Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, to observe daylight saving time year-round. While it failed last session, it may have a better chance with proponent President Donald Trump in office. Senators introduce measure making daylight saving time permanent year-round 'The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day,' Trump posted on Truth Social in April. 'Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!' Metcalf responded on X, 'Thank you President @realDonaldTrump I couldn't agree more! I'm proud to share that my HB 1393 to make DST permanent has passed the TX House. It's on its way to the TX Senate now!' A previous KXAN Facebook poll found that over 90% showed preference to staying on one time year-round. The question was which time to choose. While some like to have more light later in the day, others want it brighter in the morning when they, say, take their children to school. This bill would have Texans vote on the future of daylight saving time Some lawmakers believe the decision should be left up to the voters. Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D–Austin, proposed an amendment that would eliminate the time change and ask Texas voters to choose between observing standard time year-round and observing daylight saving time year-round in a statewide referendum. This proposal has not yet advanced as far in the legislature as HB 1393. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana legislature goes all in on its big government era
State lawmakers focus on taking away local control (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle) The core message coming from this year's legislative session so far: state legislators know best. They know better than local police, sheriffs, athletic directors, teachers, school board members, and on and on. Looking at the bills that will be picked back up this week, it's hard not to conclude that the legislature is in their 'big government solutions' era (with apologies to Swifties). Bill after bill usurping local control and imposing Statehouse-created one-size-fits-all mandates have passed committees. In many cases, the bill's author has little to no data – and few, if any, anecdotes – to support their moves to usurp local control and restrict professional judgment. And a shocking number of these bills passed without a single local official or community member testifying in support. This inclination toward expanding state power has been obvious for years on big ticket items like reproductive freedom, parental rights on health care, school curriculum, and free speech. But, over time, it has crept into almost every facet of Hoosiers' lives. And few local officials or subject matter experts are off-limits, it would seem. For instance, HB 1393 and HB 1531 both passed, doubling down on existing requirements that local police and sheriffs cooperate with federal immigration officials. In testimony on HB 1531, legislators heard concerns from the Indiana Sheriffss Association about immigration detainers. These are requests from the federal government to hold someone in jail past the time they can be held there under state law. ISA shared that sheriffs sometimes receive faulty detainers, including ones that require them to detain U.S. citizens. Nonetheless, the bill passed the committee by a large margin. SB 289 and SB 442 both include extensive annual mandates for local school districts regarding posting information online about staff anti-discrimination trainings and human sexuality curriculum, respectively. SB 442 goes further by requiring that every school board in Indiana also annually approve all human sexuality curriculum. In advocating for his bill, the author commiserated with how overworked school board members are before mandating more work for them without any additional funding or support. SB 143 makes every employee of every county and local government a 'mandated informer' who is required to turn over 'information' (undefined in the bill) broadly relating the minor's well-being if the parent requests it. Local government agencies are then subject to a lawsuit if they do not disclose 'information,' even if disclosing it to a parent may put the minor's safety at risk. And HB 1041 substitutes the opinions of legislators for the expertise of coaches, athletic directors, and national governing bodies for sports when it comes to inclusion of transgender women in women's college sports. And beyond the bills that are still moving, at least two others came very close to passage. HB 1662 would have required local police to arrest and prosecutors to prosecute some people sleeping on public sidewalks or spaces. Not only would the bill have usurped the expertise of local officials when it comes to how to respond to homelessness, it would have also required those local officials to spend scarce local taxpayer dollars on increased nights in jail and transportation and storage of the belongings of the people they are forced to arrest. Finally, SB 143 would have required all counties in the state to cut early voting days from 28 to 14 regardless of the judgement of local elections officials about the value of those additional two weeks. Taken alongside similar bills from previous sessions, many of which are now law, it's clear that state legislators are not only comfortable with usurping decision-making from local officials and subject matter experts, but are eager to do it. And, unfortunately, their actions are having real consequences. The state rarely, if ever, allocates funds to pay for the additional mandates they put on local officials. Just like it doesn't take responsibility when mandates based on their opinions cause harm to Hoosiers that could have been prevented if experts were allowed to do their jobs. State legislation is supposed to focus on the big picture. In their zeal to control more and more aspects of Hoosiers' lives, state legislators are ignoring this; and we're all worse off for it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
When does the time change? Texas lawmakers hope to get rid of daylight saving time in 2025
The practice of daylight saving time has made its way back to debates among Texas lawmakers. After failing in the 2023 legislative session, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, has proposed a bill that would allow the state to remain in standard time all year as allowed by the Uniform Time Act of 1966. This differs from previous attempts, which have generally suggested states remain in daylight saving time — an act barred by federal law. "The twice-a-year clock change is disruptive and unnecessary," Zaffirini said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. "Studies have linked these shifts to increased traffic accidents, negative health effects, and decreased productivity." In 2022, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida, made such a proposal with the Sunshine Protection Act of 2023. Although the Senate passed it, the bill stalled in the House. "It's time to lock the clock and stop enduring the ridiculous and antiquated practice of switching our clocks back and forth," Rubio said toward the end of last year. The opposite happened in the 2023 Texas legislative session, in which Zaffirini and Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, proposed the state's permanent shift to daylight saving time. House Bill 1422 earned bipartisan support in the House but stalled in the Senate. Metcalf has filed a similar bill this year. "Texas doesn't need to wait for Washington," Metcalf said in a news release. "By passing HB 1393, we'll demonstrate leadership and send a strong message that Texans are ready to move forward." If Zaffirini's Senate Bill 64 is passed and Congress reverses previous rulings against the permanent adoption of daylight saving time, Texas voters could decide which time zone they would prefer to implement year-round. All but two U.S. states observe daylight saving time. Some states want to make it permanent, while others have moved to make standard time permanent. Experts say that time changes are detrimental to health and safety, but they agree that the answer isn't permanent DST. "The medical and scientific communities are unified... that permanent standard time is better for human health," said Erik Herzog, a professor of biology and neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis and the former president of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms. Most Americans would prefer to do away with time changes. About 43% want year-round standard time, 32% want permanent daylight saving time and 25% want to stick with the status quo, an October 2021 Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found. For now and in the near future, most Americans will keep going through the jarring time changes that come around twice a year. Hawaii and Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation) remain in standard time and never experience time changes. Read more: Could daylight saving time ever be permanent? Where it stands in the states Daylight saving time is set to begin on Sunday, March 9, 2025. In the early hours, time will jump forward by one hour from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. This marks the shift to local Daylight Saving Time (DST). Many devices, such as phones and computers, will automatically change to DST, but non-smart devices, such as microwaves and some car radios, as well as any clock with hands, will likely need to be changed manually. The end of daylight saving time means there will be more light in the morning and it will get dark earlier in the evening. Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour earlier on Sunday, Nov. 3, than they were on Saturday, Nov. 2. For most Americans, except those in Arizona, Hawaii, and a handful of other places, the end of daylight saving time means an extra hour of sleep on Nov. 5. It also helps the country accommodate for more daylight in the mornings in preparation for winter. Daylight saving time (DST) claims a variety of other names: daylight savings time, daylight time, summer time (not to be confused with summertime). It refers to the practice of setting clocks forward by one hour during the warmer months of the year and then setting them back one hour in the fall. One way to remember the pattern: "spring forward, fall back." The idea dates back to World War I, although some credit Benjamin Franklin for daylight saving time due to a satirical letter he wrote in 1784 stating: "Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing: and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street to wake the sluggards effectually." To maximize resources for the war, Germany and Austria implemented the first daylight saving time in 1916. The U.S. did the same in 1918. An outdated idea, some argue. The general idea of daylight saving time is to maximize the use of natural daylight, according to the Almanac. This always occurs around the summer months. As the earth moves around the sun and is tilted on its axis, certain parts of the world experience longer days during certain months. For those in the northern hemisphere, like the U.S., these longer days run from March to November, with June to August seeing the longest days. For those in the southern hemisphere, such as Australia, the seasons are reversed: June through August mark winter months and are, therefore, the shortest of the year. Full moon calendar: When every full moon shines in 2025 in Texas In recent years, Congress has faced the opportunity to stop changing clocks. In 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, however the U.S. House of Representatives did not pass it and President Joe Biden did not sign it. In December, then-President-elect Donald Trump said he aims to put an end to daylight saving time and make standard time year-round. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump wrote on social media site Truth Social. "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." Winter officially ends with the first day of spring on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The longest day of 2025, also known as the summer solstice, is Friday, June 20. Central Texas will get around 14 hours of daylight. On the flip side, 2025's winter solstice — the shortest day of the year — is Sunday, Dec. 21. Austin will see just over 10 hours of daylight. The Earth is tilted approximately 23.5 degrees on its axis, and each solstice is dictated by the amount of solar declination, or "the latitude of Earth where the sun is directly overhead at noon," according to National Geographic. — USA TODAY reporter Jeanine Santucci contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Daylight saving time 2025 may be the last in Texas, lawmakers debate
USA Today
11-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
When does the time change? Texas lawmakers hope to get rid of daylight saving time in 2025
The practice of daylight saving time has made its way back to debates among Texas lawmakers. After failing in the 2023 legislative session, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, has proposed a bill that would allow the state to remain in standard time all year as allowed by the Uniform Time Act of 1966. This differs from previous attempts, which have generally suggested states remain in daylight saving time — an act barred by federal law. "The twice-a-year clock change is disruptive and unnecessary," Zaffirini said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. "Studies have linked these shifts to increased traffic accidents, negative health effects, and decreased productivity." In 2022, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida, made such a proposal with the Sunshine Protection Act of 2023. Although the Senate passed it, the bill stalled in the House. "It's time to lock the clock and stop enduring the ridiculous and antiquated practice of switching our clocks back and forth," Rubio said toward the end of last year. The opposite happened in the 2023 Texas legislative session, in which Zaffirini and Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, proposed the state's permanent shift to daylight saving time. House Bill 1422 earned bipartisan support in the House but stalled in the Senate. Metcalf has filed a similar bill this year. "Texas doesn't need to wait for Washington," Metcalf said in a news release. "By passing HB 1393, we'll demonstrate leadership and send a strong message that Texans are ready to move forward." If Zaffirini's Senate Bill 64 is passed and Congress reverses previous rulings against the permanent adoption of daylight saving time, Texas voters could decide which time zone they would prefer to implement year-round. Is daylight saving time good or bad? All but two U.S. states observe daylight saving time. Some states want to make it permanent, while others have moved to make standard time permanent. Experts say that time changes are detrimental to health and safety, but they agree that the answer isn't permanent DST. "The medical and scientific communities are unified... that permanent standard time is better for human health," said Erik Herzog, a professor of biology and neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis and the former president of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms. Most Americans would prefer to do away with time changes. About 43% want year-round standard time, 32% want permanent daylight saving time and 25% want to stick with the status quo, an October 2021 Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found. For now and in the near future, most Americans will keep going through the jarring time changes that come around twice a year. Hawaii and Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation) remain in standard time and never experience time changes. Read more:Could daylight saving time ever be permanent? Where it stands in the states When is daylight saving time in 2025? Daylight saving time is set to begin on Sunday, March 9, 2025. In the early hours, time will jump forward by one hour from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. This marks the shift to local Daylight Saving Time (DST). Many devices, such as phones and computers, will automatically change to DST, but non-smart devices, such as microwaves and some car radios, as well as any clock with hands, will likely need to be changed manually. What does daylight saving time mean? The end of daylight saving time means there will be more light in the morning and it will get dark earlier in the evening. Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour earlier on Sunday, Nov. 3, than they were on Saturday, Nov. 2. For most Americans, except those in Arizona, Hawaii, and a handful of other places, the end of daylight saving time means an extra hour of sleep on Nov. 5. It also helps the country accommodate for more daylight in the mornings in preparation for winter. How did daylight saving time start? Daylight saving time (DST) claims a variety of other names: daylight savings time, daylight time, summer time (not to be confused with summertime). It refers to the practice of setting clocks forward by one hour during the warmer months of the year and then setting them back one hour in the fall. One way to remember the pattern: "spring forward, fall back." The idea dates back to World War I, although some credit Benjamin Franklin for daylight saving time due to a satirical letter he wrote in 1784 stating: "Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing: and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street to wake the sluggards effectually." To maximize resources for the war, Germany and Austria implemented the first daylight saving time in 1916. The U.S. did the same in 1918. An outdated idea, some argue. The general idea of daylight saving time is to maximize the use of natural daylight, according to the Almanac. This always occurs around the summer months. As the earth moves around the sun and is tilted on its axis, certain parts of the world experience longer days during certain months. For those in the northern hemisphere, like the U.S., these longer days run from March to November, with June to August seeing the longest days. For those in the southern hemisphere, such as Australia, the seasons are reversed: June through August mark winter months and are, therefore, the shortest of the year. Full moon calendar:When every full moon shines in 2025 in Texas Is daylight saving time going away in the US? In recent years, Congress has faced the opportunity to stop changing clocks. In 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, however the U.S. House of Representatives did not pass it and President Joe Biden did not sign it. In December, then-President-elect Donald Trump said he aims to put an end to daylight saving time and make standard time year-round. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump wrote on social media site Truth Social. "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." When does winter end? See first day of spring 2025 Winter officially ends with the first day of spring on Thursday, March 20, 2025. When is the longest day of the year in 2025? The shortest? The longest day of 2025, also known as the summer solstice, is Friday, June 20. Central Texas will get around 14 hours of daylight. On the flip side, 2025's winter solstice — the shortest day of the year — is Sunday, Dec. 21. Austin will see just over 10 hours of daylight. The Earth is tilted approximately 23.5 degrees on its axis, and each solstice is dictated by the amount of solar declination, or "the latitude of Earth where the sun is directly overhead at noon," according to National Geographic. — USA TODAY reporter Jeanine Santucci contributed to this report.
