Big Change Could Be Coming to Daylight Saving Time in New York

If changing the clocks twice a year drives you crazy, you might finally be getting some good news.

Daylight Saving Time Permanent in the U.S.

For years, people have been calling on the federal government to stop changing the clocks twice a year and make daylight saving time permanent. A bill moving through Congress could finally make that happen, and if it becomes law, it would mean a pretty big change for everyone here in New York.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent. The bill now heads to the Senate, and if it's approved there, it'll land on President Donald Trump's desk.

Schools Replace Clocks in New York

Could New Yorkers Stop Changing Their Clocks?

If the bill becomes law, we'd still move our clocks ahead in the spring, but we'd never have to "fall back" again in November. That means no more losing daylight in the late afternoon just as many people are getting out of work. It's something a lot of New Yorkers have been asking for over the years.

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Supporters of the bill say permanent daylight saving time could encourage people to spend more time outside, help local businesses, boost tourism, and eliminate the disruption that comes with changing the clocks twice a year. Some also believe it could help with seasonal depression during the darker months.

Not everyone agrees, though.

Opponents point out that keeping daylight saving time year-round would mean much darker mornings during the winter, which could be tough for kids waiting for school buses, early commuters, and farmers.

Daylight Savings Time

Here's What Would Change in New York

For most of the year, you probably wouldn't notice much of a difference. The biggest changes would come during the winter months. Right now, once we switch back to standard time in the fall, New Yorkers see some of the earliest sunsets in the country.

Here in Poughkeepsie, the earliest winter sunset is around 4:25 p.m. Under permanent daylight saving time, that same sunset wouldn't happen until about 5:25 p.m., giving us an extra hour of daylight after work instead of it feeling like nighttime before dinner. The tradeoff is that the sun wouldn't rise until around 8:13 a.m. on some winter mornings, meaning many people would be driving to work or heading to school before sunrise.

For now, nothing has changed. New Yorkers should still expect to turn their clocks back this fall like always.

But with the House approving the Sunshine Protection Act and President Trump publicly supporting it, there's a real chance the days of changing the clocks every spring and fall could finally be coming to an end.

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So, what do you think? Should we stop changing the clocks twice a year, or keep things the way they are? Let us know through our station app above.