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Spring forward: despite bipartisan bills, Daylight Saving Time returns Sunday

Make sure to set your clock an hour ahead Saturday night...and prepare some extra coffee because you'll be losing an hour of sleep.
Credit: iStock

WASHINGTON — It's almost that time of the year again: Across most of the United States, people will be springing forward an hour for daylight saving time starting at 2 a.m. Sunday. 

You'll want to adjust your clock accordingly Saturday night to avoid delaying any Sunday morning plans you might have. And make sure to brew an extra mug or two of coffee because the jump forward means we'll all be losing an hour of sleep. 

The time change will result in sunlight extending longer into the evening, but the shine will take longer to emerge in the morning. This will be the case until Nov. 7. 

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas. 

One of the more irritating days of the year for many Americans, a movement to change daylight saving practice is perhaps one of the most bipartisan issues that can unite a deeply polarized country. 

Many states have passed measures to stay on daylight saving time permanently -- a move that some have called "lock the clock." In some cases, they've floated ideas to get around it.

In almost all the cases that have been approved by states, it requires a literal act of Congress. Under federal law, states are allowed to opt out of daylight saving time and remain on standard time, but are not allowed to remain on daylight time. This year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress once again proposed staying on daylight saving time year-round with the Sunshine Protection Act.

In the last four years, 18 states have passed legislation or resolutions supporting year-round daylight saving time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The states are Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi and Montana (2021). Idaho, Louisiana, Ohio (resolution), South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming (2020). Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington (2019). Florida (2018; California voters also authorized such a change that year, but legislative action is pending). Some states have commissioned studies on the topic including Massachusetts (2017) and Maine (2021).

Andrew Weil and Travis Pittman contributed to this report. 

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