The decades-old ritual of changing clocks twice a year could be moving closer to an end in New Jersey and much of the United States. The U.S. House has already approved legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent, and President Donald Trump is now urging the Senate to finish the job. But the change is not final yet.
NEW JERSEY — Americans may eventually be able to stop asking the familiar question every spring and fall: Do we move the clocks forward or back?
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act, H.R. 139, on July 14, by a vote of 308 to 117. The legislation would make daylight saving time permanent in states that currently observe it, effectively ending the twice-yearly clock changes.
President Donald Trump has strongly backed the proposal and has been pressing the Senate to approve it. On July 27, Trump again urged senators to act, saying he hoped the chamber would pass the measure.
What would it mean for New Jersey?
New Jersey currently follows daylight saving time, moving clocks forward in March and back again in November.
If the legislation becomes law, New Jersey would remain on daylight saving time throughout the year rather than returning to standard time in the fall. That would mean more evening daylight during the winter — but darker mornings as well.
In other words, the clocks would stop changing twice a year.
The Senate is the biggest obstacle
Despite the strong House vote and support from the White House, the proposal still faces uncertainty in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has questioned whether supporters have the 60 votes generally needed to advance the legislation, and some senators oppose permanent daylight saving time because of concerns about very dark winter mornings, particularly in northern states.
That means Americans should not throw away the instructions for changing their clocks just yet.
Why is changing the clock so controversial?
Supporters of permanent daylight saving time argue that changing clocks disrupts sleep, contributes to accidents and creates unnecessary inconvenience. They also say having more daylight in the evening could benefit businesses, recreation and road safety.
Critics point to a different problem: permanent daylight saving time can mean sunrise arrives very late during winter.
The United States has tried something similar before. Congress imposed year-round daylight saving time during the energy crisis in 1974, but the experiment quickly became unpopular, in part because children were traveling to school in darkness, and lawmakers reversed course.
So, will New Jersey change its clocks again?
For now, yes.
The House has passed the bill and Trump supports it, but the Senate has not approved it. Until Congress completes the legislation and it becomes law, the existing system remains in place.
So while the familiar spring-forward and fall-back routine may finally be facing a serious challenge in Washington, New Jersey residents should not assume the clock-changing era is over just yet.
Sources: U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce; Reuters; X post by @QAscension347.
By NJ RADAR Team