U.S. Congress passes motion to end twice-yearly time changes

[spaminator]

U.S. Congress passes motion to end twice-yearly time changes
Bill passes by 308-117 margin, still needs U.S. Senate approval

Author of the article:Jordan Ercit
Published Jul 14, 2026 • 2 minute read

A human hand moving the hands of a clock.
The U.S. House of Representatives took a step toward ending the divisive practice of biannual time changes, passing a motion on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Photo by Daniel Tamas Mehes / iStock /Getty Images
The U.S. House of Representatives took a step toward ending the divisive practice of biannual time changes, passing a motion on Tuesday to make daylight time a year-round practice across the country.


The motion passed by a 308-117 margin, although it still needs approval from the U.S. Senate before landing on the desk of President Donald Trump, who in the past has lambasted the practice as a “ridiculous, twice-yearly production.”


It is not yet clear if the U.S. Senate will rubber-stamp Congress’s decision, which could trigger long-awaited changes in Canada.

Ontario passed the Time Amendment Act in 2020 to scrap the twice-yearly time changes, but only if Quebec and New York follow suit as well.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Toronto on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Photo by Peter Power /Postmedia Network
Ontario waiting on Quebec, New York
The Quebec government, however, has expressed reluctance in making the switch, while New York is not one of the 19 states that have enacted legislation or resolutions to provide for year-round daylight savings time, according to National Conference of State Legislatures.

A spokesperson for the office of Premier Doug Ford said their position remains unchanged despite the House vote, saying they “won’t be changing our daylight saving practice unless Quebec and New York do.”


While it is unclear if Trump’s position on the matter has changed, according to CNN, he urged Republicans in May to end biannual time changes as it made for a “very nice win.

“Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks,” he said at the time in a Truth Social post, via CNN.

“It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice-yearly production.”


Divisive topic south of border
That said, the issue has been a divisive one south of the border with proponents and critics pointing to similar issues, specifically economic and health benefits.

Supporters believe the change to a permanent time could spur less seasonal depression, more economic activity and a drop in crime in the evenings, CNN reported.

“There’s a lot of science on this and really the question is why do we still change our clocks?” Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone said, via CNN. “That’s a question many of us ask every time we have to do it and it’s getting harder and harder to justify.”

Critics, however, believe that keeping clocks unchanged over the course of the year could have negative consequences for farmers and endanger the lives of students heading to school in morning darkness.

U.S. Congress passes motion to end twice-yearly time changes

The motion passed by a 308-117 margin, although it still needs approval from the Senate before landing on the desk of Donald Trump. Read on.

torontosun.com

 

[55Mercury]

About time.

Just allow businesses to vary their hours accordingly.
We're all adults here right?

 

[spaminator]

U.S. Congress passes motion to end twice-yearly time changes
Bill passes by 308-117 margin, still needs U.S. Senate approval

Author of the article:Jordan Ercit
Published Jul 14, 2026 • 2 minute read

A human hand moving the hands of a clock.
The U.S. House of Representatives took a step toward ending the divisive practice of biannual time changes, passing a motion on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Photo by Daniel Tamas Mehes / iStock /Getty Images
The U.S. House of Representatives took a step toward ending the divisive practice of biannual time changes, passing a motion on Tuesday to make daylight time a year-round practice across the country.


The motion passed by a 308-117 margin, although it still needs approval from the U.S. Senate before landing on the desk of President Donald Trump, who in the past has lambasted the practice as a “ridiculous, twice-yearly production.”


It is not yet clear if the U.S. Senate will rubber-stamp Congress’s decision, which could trigger long-awaited changes in Canada.

Ontario passed the Time Amendment Act in 2020 to scrap the twice-yearly time changes, but only if Quebec and New York follow suit as well.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Toronto on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Photo by Peter Power /Postmedia Network
Ontario waiting on Quebec, New York
The Quebec government, however, has expressed reluctance in making the switch, while New York is not one of the 19 states that have enacted legislation or resolutions to provide for year-round daylight savings time, according to National Conference of State Legislatures.

A spokesperson for the office of Premier Doug Ford said their position remains unchanged despite the House vote, saying they “won’t be changing our daylight saving practice unless Quebec and New York do.”


While it is unclear if Trump’s position on the matter has changed, according to CNN, he urged Republicans in May to end biannual time changes as it made for a “very nice win.

“Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks,” he said at the time in a Truth Social post, via CNN.

“It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice-yearly production.”


Divisive topic south of border
That said, the issue has been a divisive one south of the border with proponents and critics pointing to similar issues, specifically economic and health benefits.

Supporters believe the change to a permanent time could spur less seasonal depression, more economic activity and a drop in crime in the evenings, CNN reported.

“There’s a lot of science on this and really the question is why do we still change our clocks?” Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone said, via CNN. “That’s a question many of us ask every time we have to do it and it’s getting harder and harder to justify.”

Critics, however, believe that keeping clocks unchanged over the course of the year could have negative consequences for farmers and endanger the lives of students heading to school in morning darkness.

U.S. Congress passes motion to end twice-yearly time changes

The motion passed by a 308-117 margin, although it still needs approval from the Senate before landing on the desk of Donald Trump. Read on.

torontosun.com

i hope this becomes north america wide.

 

[spaminator]

How things stand in Ontario with U.S. planning to ditch daylight time
Despite passing Time Amendment Act in 2020, province included major caveat that keeps bill from taking effect

Author of the article:Jordan Ercit
Published Jul 19, 2026 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 3 minute read

Clocks will shift one hour ahead in most of Ontario this weekend.
Despite passing the Time Amendment Act more than five years ago to abandon the changing of clocks in the spring and fall, Ontario included a major caveat that continues to keep the bill from taking effect. Photo by Rawf8 / iStock /Getty Images

A permanent year-round standard time may soon be the norm in some parts of the United States, but that will mean little to Ontario if a couple of its neighbours stick with the status quo on twice-yearly time changes.


Despite passing the Time Amendment Act more than five years ago to abandon the changing of clocks in the spring and fall, the province included a major caveat that continues to keep the bill from taking effect.

For that to happen, Quebec and the state of New York must commit to keeping standard time permanent as well with those jurisdictions either slow-pedalling legislation to complete the change or resisting it altogether.

Here is where things stand in Ontario, Quebec, New York and elsewhere:

Ontario Premier Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at a press conference with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Monday, July 6, 2026. Photo by Dean Pilling /Postmedia
Ontario
When the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act last week by a 308-117 margin, it signalled an appetite to end a divisive tradition there that President Donald Trump had lambasted as a “ridiculous, twice-yearly production.”


In Ontario, lawmakers committed to ending the practice in November 2020, when the Time Amendment Act received royal assent.

The act essentially strikes out any references to daylight time or instances where it needs to replace standard time in the Elections Act, the Mining Act and the Labour Relations Act “on a day to be named by proclamation of the lieutenant governor.”

For that to happen, Quebec and New York need to pass similar legislation with a spokesperson for the office of Premier Doug Ford telling the Toronto Sun last week that their position remains unchanged despite the vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.


Quebec
Despite overwhelming public support to standardize time year-round, the Quebec government told CTV News in March that it has no plans to introduce legislation “at this time.”

The comments came after Quebec had launched a public consultation on the biannual time changes in October 2024, which showed that 91% of the more than 214,000 respondents wanted clocks to stay the same year-round.


Among their reasons were the usual benefits cited by proponents and critics of the change: Improved physical and mental health and sleep quality. Economic advantages and disadvantages have also been cited by both sides.

The government, however, has been studying the results for over a year and shows no signs of progress, CTV News reported in March.

“We have taken note of Quebecers’ desire to end daylight saving time. Analyses following consultations with experts, particularly from the economic and health sectors, are ongoing,” a spokesperson for Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette told CTV News at the time.



New York
After proposing multiple versions of the bill since 2019, the New York Assembly and Senate are only now assessing a bill at committee to standardize time year-round.

“Currently, states are only permitted to exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time, not establish its permanence,” a justification for the bill says on the New York Senate website. “This bill, should it become law, would allow the state to establish daylight saving time as the permanent year-round time, contingent upon the repeal of the federal law establishing daylight saving time.”

B.C. Premier David Eby.
B.C. Premier David Eby. Photo by Postmedia files
Other jurisdictions
Alberta tabled legislation in April to make daylight time permanent, while Northwest Territories has signalled that it will follow suit if that happens with both sharing a time zone.

Saskatchewan already keeps a permanent time and B.C. has committed to doing so year-round.

In the U.S., Arizona and Hawaii have already ditched twice-yearly time changes along with a handful of overseas territories, such as Puerto Rico and Guam.

At least 19 other states have committed to the change if federal law is passed, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Spring forward: Will Quebec follow B.C. in abolishing time change?

British Columbia announced on Monday that the province would be changing their clocks for the last time this month, but it seems Quebecers will not be following suit any time soon — even as the vast majority of people support the move.

ctvnews.ca

http://ola.org/sites/default/files/node-files/bill/document/pdf/2020/2020-11/b214ra_e.pdf

http://ncsl.org/transportation/daylight-saving-time-state-legislation

http://nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3380

http://nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10571

How things stand in Ontario with U.S. planning to ditch daylight time

Despite passing the Time Amendment Act, the province included a major caveat that continues to keep the bill from taking effect. Read on.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

How things stand in Ontario with U.S. planning to ditch daylight time
Despite passing Time Amendment Act in 2020, province included major caveat that keeps bill from taking effect

Author of the article:Jordan Ercit
Published Jul 19, 2026 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 3 minute read

Clocks will shift one hour ahead in most of Ontario this weekend.
Despite passing the Time Amendment Act more than five years ago to abandon the changing of clocks in the spring and fall, Ontario included a major caveat that continues to keep the bill from taking effect. Photo by Rawf8 / iStock /Getty Images

A permanent year-round standard time may soon be the norm in some parts of the United States, but that will mean little to Ontario if a couple of its neighbours stick with the status quo on twice-yearly time changes.


Despite passing the Time Amendment Act more than five years ago to abandon the changing of clocks in the spring and fall, the province included a major caveat that continues to keep the bill from taking effect.

For that to happen, Quebec and the state of New York must commit to keeping standard time permanent as well with those jurisdictions either slow-pedalling legislation to complete the change or resisting it altogether.

Here is where things stand in Ontario, Quebec, New York and elsewhere:

Ontario Premier Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at a press conference with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Monday, July 6, 2026. Photo by Dean Pilling /Postmedia
Ontario
When the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act last week by a 308-117 margin, it signalled an appetite to end a divisive tradition there that President Donald Trump had lambasted as a “ridiculous, twice-yearly production.”


In Ontario, lawmakers committed to ending the practice in November 2020, when the Time Amendment Act received royal assent.

The act essentially strikes out any references to daylight time or instances where it needs to replace standard time in the Elections Act, the Mining Act and the Labour Relations Act “on a day to be named by proclamation of the lieutenant governor.”

For that to happen, Quebec and New York need to pass similar legislation with a spokesperson for the office of Premier Doug Ford telling the Toronto Sun last week that their position remains unchanged despite the vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.


Quebec
Despite overwhelming public support to standardize time year-round, the Quebec government told CTV News in March that it has no plans to introduce legislation “at this time.”

The comments came after Quebec had launched a public consultation on the biannual time changes in October 2024, which showed that 91% of the more than 214,000 respondents wanted clocks to stay the same year-round.


Among their reasons were the usual benefits cited by proponents and critics of the change: Improved physical and mental health and sleep quality. Economic advantages and disadvantages have also been cited by both sides.

The government, however, has been studying the results for over a year and shows no signs of progress, CTV News reported in March.

“We have taken note of Quebecers’ desire to end daylight saving time. Analyses following consultations with experts, particularly from the economic and health sectors, are ongoing,” a spokesperson for Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette told CTV News at the time.



New York
After proposing multiple versions of the bill since 2019, the New York Assembly and Senate are only now assessing a bill at committee to standardize time year-round.

“Currently, states are only permitted to exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time, not establish its permanence,” a justification for the bill says on the New York Senate website. “This bill, should it become law, would allow the state to establish daylight saving time as the permanent year-round time, contingent upon the repeal of the federal law establishing daylight saving time.”

B.C. Premier David Eby.
B.C. Premier David Eby. Photo by Postmedia files
Other jurisdictions
Alberta tabled legislation in April to make daylight time permanent, while Northwest Territories has signalled that it will follow suit if that happens with both sharing a time zone.

Saskatchewan already keeps a permanent time and B.C. has committed to doing so year-round.

In the U.S., Arizona and Hawaii have already ditched twice-yearly time changes along with a handful of overseas territories, such as Puerto Rico and Guam.

At least 19 other states have committed to the change if federal law is passed, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Spring forward: Will Quebec follow B.C. in abolishing time change?

British Columbia announced on Monday that the province would be changing their clocks for the last time this month, but it seems Quebecers will not be following suit any time soon — even as the vast majority of people support the move.

ctvnews.ca

http://ola.org/sites/default/files/node-files/bill/document/pdf/2020/2020-11/b214ra_e.pdf

http://ncsl.org/transportation/daylight-saving-time-state-legislation

http://nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3380

http://nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10571

How things stand in Ontario with U.S. planning to ditch daylight time

Despite passing the Time Amendment Act, the province included a major caveat that continues to keep the bill from taking effect. Read on.

torontosun.com

hoping for permanent daylight saving time.

 

[petros]

i hope this becomes north america wide.

You should be saying "I hope worst case Ontario gets on boards with reality".

 

[spaminator]

Permanent daylight time could change how we eat
Changing the clock won’t create more daylight — but it could change when, where and how we consume food

Author of the articler. Sylvain Charlebois
Published Jul 20, 2026 • Last updated 12 hours ago • 3 minute read

Daylight saving time
The United States is once again trying to put an end to the ritual of changing the clocks twice a year. Photo by ADOBE /STOCK
The United States is once again trying to put an end to the ritual of changing the clocks twice a year.


The House of Representatives has passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent, leaving the Senate to decide whether Americans should remain on summer time throughout the year.


What looks like a simple adjustment to the clock could have consequences reaching well beyond sleep schedules. It could also change when, where and how people buy and consume food — and Canada cannot afford to treat the debate as someone else’s problem.

Ontario has been waiting for this moment. In 2020, the province passed legislation permitting permanent daylight time, but made implementation dependent on coordination with Quebec and New York. That caution was justified.

Ontario’s food economy is deeply integrated with both jurisdictions. Trucks carrying produce, meat and processed foods cross borders according to tightly managed delivery appointments. Warehouses, processing plants, grocery stores and restaurants operate on synchronized schedules. A one-hour difference may sound trivial, but in a perishable supply chain, small complications multiply quickly.


If Washington ultimately adopts permanent daylight time, political pressure on Ontario and Quebec to follow will intensify. The immediate supply-chain implications should be manageable if the major jurisdictions move together. The more interesting question is what an additional hour of evening daylight during winter would do to food consumption.

Additional daylight would change where and when people eat
It would not necessarily make people eat more. It would, however, likely change where and when they eat. Brighter evenings encourage people to remain outside, shop after work and participate in leisure activities. That creates opportunities for restaurants, cafés, takeout operators, convenience stores and entertainment districts. Some food spending now occurring at grocery stores could migrate toward food service.

Total demand may barely change, while the commercial destination of that demand shifts considerably.

Meal timing could change as well. If people stay active later, dinner may be delayed and evening snacking could become more common. Researchers have already found that the spring clock change can temporarily increase consumption of packaged snacks, apparently because lost sleep and disrupted routines influence self-control.


Eliminating the clock change would remove that semi-annual disruption, but permanent daylight time could create a different challenge: darker winter mornings and a lasting misalignment between social schedules and natural light. The long-term dietary consequences remain uncertain, which is precisely why claims that permanent daylight time will automatically improve public health should be treated cautiously.



Farming a key concern
Then there is farming, where one of the most persistent myths about daylight saving time continues to survive. The system was not created for farmers. It was promoted during wartime largely as an energy-conservation measure. Farmers were often among its strongest opponents because crops, livestock and weather do not recognize government clocks. Cows do not adjust their biological routines because legislators move the hour hand.


Dew does not disappear earlier because a statute says it is later. Agriculture follows sunlight; the modern food chain follows schedules.

That distinction still matters. Today’s farms are connected to processors, milk pickups, livestock transporters, distribution centres and labour shifts governed by clock time. Permanent daylight time would not create an additional hour of sunlight or improve crop yields. It would simply relabel an existing hour, transferring usable clock daylight from the morning to the evening. For farm operations starting before sunrise, winter mornings would become darker.

The burden would be operational rather than biological.

Restaurants would win big
For consumers, the most visible winners could be restaurants and other businesses that benefit from evening activity. For grocery retailers, the effect could be mixed: more after-work shopping, but potentially greater competition from food service. For supply chains, the determining factor would be coordination. Ontario moving with Quebec and New York would be an adjustment. Ontario moving alone would be an avoidable logistical nuisance.


Changing the clock will not change the amount of daylight, solve food inflation or transform agricultural productivity. But clocks organize markets, and food is perhaps the most time-sensitive market of all. Permanent daylight time could subtly redistribute food spending, alter meal schedules and reshape evening demand. Before governments declare the debate merely a matter of convenience, they should recognize that even time has a supply chain.

– Sylvain Charlebois is director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, co-host of The Food Professor Podcast.

CHARLEBOIS: Permanent daylight time could change how we eat

The United States is once again trying to put an end to the ritual of changing the clocks twice a year. Read on.

torontosun.com

 

[55Mercury]

It can also causes a dramatic increase in people postulating their wild theories thinking they've got a realistic handle on "The Science".