Buchanan urges House support for Sunshine Protection Act making daylight saving time permanent
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Summary
Rep. Vern Buchanan spoke on the House floor in support of H.R. 139, the Sunshine Protection Act, which makes daylight saving time the permanent standard time and ends biannual clock changes. The bill passed the House on July 14, 2026, by a 308-117 vote and was sent to the Senate. Buchanan highlighted economic and health benefits, cited polling, referenced 19 states' actions, and noted an opt-out provision. He credited bipartisan efforts including former Sen. Rubio. The speech occurred during final House consideration of the measure.
Editorial Assessment
The speech accurately describes the bill's provisions and recent House passage. Health projections closely match a 2025 Stanford/PNAS modeling study estimating roughly 220,000 fewer strokes and 1.7 million fewer obesity cases under permanent DST. Polling support for ending clock changes aligns with multiple 2025 surveys showing majorities favor no more switches, though preferences split between permanent DST and standard time. The 19-state figure is confirmed by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Viewers miss that permanent standard time shows modestly larger modeled benefits in the same study and that Senate prospects remain uncertain.
Key Moments
Polling shows two-thirds of Americans want to unlock the clock
Multiple 2025 polls (YouGov, AP-NORC) show 56-64% support ending biannual changes.
Permanent DST would prevent over 200,000 stroke cases per year and reduce obesity for nearly 2 million people
2025 PNAS/Stanford model projects ~220,000 fewer strokes and 1.7 million fewer obesity cases under permanent DST.
19 states have passed legislation supporting year-round DST if Congress acts
National Conference of State Legislatures confirms 19 states have enacted such measures.
Bill allows states to opt out for standard time
Text of H.R. 139 explicitly includes an opt-out provision for states preferring standard time.
Sources Consulted
- H.R.139 - 119th Congress (2025-2026)
- House Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
- Circadian-informed modeling predicts regional variation in health benefits
- More Than Half in U.S. Want Daylight Saving Time Sunsetted
- Few people support the daylight saving time system
- House passes bill that would make daylight saving time permanent