March 15, 2022
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke on the Senate floor following the Senate’s passage of the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 (S. 623). The bill would make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent across the country starting in 2023.
In 2018, Florida legislature’s enacted year-round DST. However, for Florida’s change to apply, a change in the federal statute is required. Nineteen other states — Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming — have passed similar laws, resolutions, or voter initiatives, and dozens more are looking to do so.
If passed by the House and signed into law by President Joe Biden, the Sunshine Protection Act would apply to those states that currently participate in DST, which most states observe for eight months out of the year. States and territories that currently remain on Standard Time year-around would continue to do so. Many studies have shown that making DST permanent could benefit the economy and the country. A one-pager of the bill is available here.
Video of Rubio’s remarks is available here and a full transcript is below.