More States Seek to Adopt Permanent Standard Time

Dozens of states are considering locking clocks on year-round standard time, despite federal laws favoring daylight saving time.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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While most of the U.S. observed daylight saving time by setting clocks forward an hour on Sunday, two states - Hawaii and much of Arizona - have long exempted themselves and remain on permanent standard time year-round. Now, more than a dozen other states are considering legislation to adopt permanent standard time, bucking the federal preference for daylight saving time.

Why it matters

The push for permanent standard time reflects growing concerns among health experts and some state lawmakers that the biannual clock changes can disrupt sleep patterns and have negative health impacts. However, federal law currently only allows states to opt for permanent standard time, not daylight saving time, making the state-level efforts more challenging.

The details

While nearly 20 states have enacted laws calling for permanent daylight saving time, federal law only permits states to opt out and observe standard time year-round. Bills for permanent standard time are currently under consideration in over a dozen states, including Alaska, California, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. In Virginia, a bill passed the state Senate and is awaiting action in the House, contingent on neighboring states like Maryland and Washington D.C. also adopting permanent standard time.

  • On March 12, 2023, most of the U.S. set clocks forward an hour for daylight saving time.
  • Hawaii and much of Arizona have observed permanent standard time for decades.
  • In February 2023, a Virginia bill for permanent standard time passed the state Senate.
  • In March 2023, the Virginia House Rules committee voted to carry the standard time bill over to the 2027 session.

The players

Hawaii

A state that has observed permanent standard time year-round for decades, opting out of the biannual clock changes.

Arizona

Except for the Navajo Nation, most of Arizona also observes permanent standard time and does not participate in daylight saving time.

Virginia

A state where legislation for permanent standard time passed the state Senate in February 2023 and is awaiting action in the House, contingent on neighboring states also adopting the change.

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What’s next

It remains to be seen whether any of the state-level bills for permanent standard time will be enacted, or if Congress will pass legislation to allow states more flexibility in choosing between standard time or daylight saving time year-round.

The takeaway

The push for permanent standard time highlights the ongoing debate over the merits of the biannual clock changes, with health experts generally favoring standard time. However, the current federal framework makes it challenging for states to deviate from the default daylight saving time, leading to a patchwork of state-level efforts to lock clocks on standard time.