Texas bill would allow voters to decide future of Daylight Saving Time
We are set to "spring forward" for Daylight Saving Time early Sunday morning, but one Texas lawmaker is hopeful new legislation will make it the last time we have to lose an hour of sleep.
Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt has filed a bill that would let voters decide the future of Daylight Saving Time.
Sen. Bettencourt (R-Houston) filed Senate Bill 2029 and Senate Joint Resolution 67 which, if passed, would put the time change on the ballot for Texas voters in this November's election.
Sen. Bettencourt's Daylight Saving Time
Dig deeper:
Several bills concerning Daylight Saving Time have been filed in the Texas Legislature this session, but Senator Bettencourt's bills differ in that they would allow voters to choose if they would want Daylight Saving Time or standard time year-round.
The bills would set up a vote on Nov. 4, 2025 to choose their preference.
If the majority of the votes were for standard time, Texas would exempt itself from federal Daylight Saving Time requirements.
If the majority of voters pick year-round Daylight Saving Time, Texas would adopt the policy if Congress passes a law allowing states to make the change.
READ MORE: As daylight saving time approaches, most Americans say they're ready to end it
The bill would only take effect if the Texas Legislature passes a constitutional amendment authorizing the referendum.
If it clears those hurdles, the chosen time standard would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
What they're saying:
"For years, Texans and Americans have debated clock changes, questioning their impact on health, safety and the economy," wrote Senator Bettencourt in a statement. "This bill puts the decision in Texans' hands, just like Arizona and Hawaii, allowing them to choose the time standard that best suits our state's unique needs."
Ending daylight saving time
FILE - Mark Brown adjusts clocks on the wall at Brown?s Old Time Clock Shop March 6, 2007 in Plantation, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The backstory:
Every year there’s talk about ending the time change at both the state and federal level.
In December, then-President-elect Donald Trump promised to eliminate daylight saving time.
READ MORE: Trump weighs in on Daylight Saving Time debate
For the last several years, a bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent has stalled in Congress; it has been reintroduced this year.
Daylight saving time vs. standard time
By the numbers:
If daylight saving time is eliminated, the question remains of which clock America would adapt: daylight saving time or standard time.
RELATED: When is the happiest time of day?
In a recent Gallup poll, Americans most commonly said they’d prefer keeping standard time the whole year (48%), even if it meant losing sunlight in the summertime.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Senate Bill 2029 and Senate Joint Resolution 67, comments made by President Donald Trump and a Gallup poll from January 2025.