Permanent daylight saving time legislation gains traction: What would change?
Key takeaways
- Vern Buchanan, both Republicans from Florida, reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act, previously championed by now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee confirmed to The Hill that Buchanan s legislation would receive a full markup.
- Under the Sunshine Protection Act, states that do not exempt themselves before it takes effect would lock their clocks on the time observed between March and November.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Last year, Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Vern Buchanan, both Republicans from Florida, reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act, previously championed by now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Scott s bill received bipartisan support and a committee hearing, and even advanced out of committee. The Senate tried to fast-track its version last year, only for the effort to be thwarted.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee confirmed to The Hill that Buchanan s legislation would receive a full markup. As The Washington Post first reported, the language was included in a larger transportation funding package.
Buchanan, in a statement released Wednesday, said he was proud to see his bill included in the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act, explaining that it will bring us one step closer to ending the outdated and unpopular practice of changing our clocks twice a year.