By leah jones
2 AM local time on Mar. 9, 2025 will mark the start of Daylight Saving tTime (DST). This means it’s time to “spring forward” by turning the clocks ahead an hour.
DST is something that many Americans are simply used to (and despise), but not everyone is aware of its real purpose. In fact, there's long been talk about getting rid of Daylight Saving Time.
DST was first nationally adopted during World War I to save fuel and energy. After being taken away due to being unfavorable with farmers then reimplemented, the passage of the 1966 Uniform Time Act made DST standardized.
DST was enacted so we can enjoy more daylight in the evening while reducing energy consumption for lighting and heating.
DST was intended to provide economic benefits for retail businesses, attracting more customers during longer daylight hours. Additionally, reduced accidents and crime rates come with the time change.
The benefits of DST are debated and many point to the issues it can cause instead. These include sleep disturbances, car accidents and health issues as severe as heart attacks and strokes.
The only US states that do not observe DST are all of Hawaii and most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation). These states receive plenty of sunlight and extreme heat, making DST unnecessary.
Donald Trump stated the Republican Party would make efforts to eliminate DST last December on Truth Social. He described it as, "inconvenient and very costly to our Nation."
However, no plans to move forward with eliminating DST have been made since Trump began his second term as President.
Legislation to abolish DST would require approval from Congress. While bills like the Sunshine Protection Act have been introduced, they have not yet been enacted.
The Sunshine Protection Act is a bipartisan bill intended to enact DST all year. It was first introduced in 2018 and has failed to get passed the House of Representatives for multiple years.
The bill was reintroduced in 2025 by Rep. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. 19 states are in favor of such legislation to make DST permanent. Americans are divided, but most want to stop biannually changing clocks.
Today, some countries and regions around the world still observe it, while most others have abandoned the practice due to mixed opinions on its effectiveness.