Daylight saving time is changing. Here's what Arizonans need to know

Arizona doesn't observe daylight saving time. While most of the United States prepares to set their clocks back an hour earlier on Nov. 6, a bill in Congress could change daylight saving time.

This year, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill called the Sunshine Protection Act, which was introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida. The bill would permanently extend daylight saving time from eight months of the year to the full 12 months. But the measure has not yet been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, nor has it been signed into law by President Joe Biden.

When does daylight saving time end in 2022?

Daylight saving time 2022 ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. On that date, clocks must be set one hour earlier. That's falling back.

What is the future of daylight saving time? Year-round change depends on federal vote

What's the purpose of daylight saving time?

Daylight saving time, which is regulated by the Department of Transportation in the U.S., was initially introduced during World War I by Germany in 1916, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The idea was to conserve power and fuel by making daylight last longer, according to the Bureau. The U.S. adopted daylight saving time in 1918 but abolished it nationwide after the war, though it was allowed on a state-by-state basis, the Bureau reported.

When the Department of Transportation was founded in 1966, it was granted regulatory power over daylight saving time and time zones. Only Arizona, Hawaii and U.S. territories including Puerto Rico permanently observe standard time.

A Department of Energy study found the extra four weeks of daylight saving time saved around 0.5% in total electricity daily in the U.S., equalling energy savings of 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours annually.

The federal 1966 Uniform Time Act, which became law because of the random way states had been observing daylight saving time up until then, has been a roadblock for supporters of year-round daylight saving time. The act allows states either to change clocks to daylight saving time at a specified time and date or remain on standard time all year.

What will Arizona do if daylight saving becomes permanent?

The Sunshine Protection Act would not extend to states such as Arizona, with the exception of the Navajo Nation, that do not observe daylight saving time.

If the legislation becomes law, Arizona and California would always be on the same time.

While Arizona could decide to switch to Mountain Daylight Time, the idea is unpopular in the state. In 2015, state Rep. Phil Lovas, R-Peoria, unsuccessfully introduced House Bill 2014, which would have reversed a 1968 state law opting out of the federal Uniform Time Act.

Why does Arizona not follow daylight saving time?

According to https://www.history.com, daylight saving time was introduced during World War I, although it did not become an annual observance in the United States until 1966. But not every state wanted it. Timeanddate.com points out that in Arizona we have too much sun in summer. Why stick people with another hour of scorching daylight? So state officials decided to leave the clocks alone.

But people in part of Arizona do change their clocks. The Navajo Nation — which extends from Arizona into New Mexico and Utah — observes daylight saving time so that everyone who lives on the reservation is on the same schedule.

Hawaii is the other state that doesn't observe daylight saving time. It doesn't need the extra daylight either: Hawaii sits at a tropical latitude and there isn’t much difference in the length of days in summer and winter.

How daylight saving time affects Arizona and California

Arizona is on Mountain Standard Time. When the rest of the country goes on daylight saving time in the spring, Arizona is three hours behind our East Coast friends and two hours behind Chicago. When daylight saving time ends in November, we're two hours behind the East Coast.

Your favorite programs might come on later than usual after March 13. Check your DVR settings to make sure they will reflect daylight saving time or you might miss your shows.

Arizona sports fans have to account for daylight saving time, too, especially NFL fans. In September and October, football games that start at 1 p.m. on the East Coast come on at 10 a.m. here. Once daylight saving time ends in November, those games come on at 11 a.m.

What happens when Congress votes on daylight saving time?

If the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 becomes law, the bill would make daylight saving time the new, permanent standard time as of Nov. 5, 2023. That means once clocks spring forward next March, they would not change in November of next year.

The Senate voted unanimously to pass the bill on March 15. The bill now awaits a House vote.

“It’s unclear if the House will vote this year, given everything else on the agenda once they return after the elections,” Ben Husch, natural resources and infrastructure committee director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, told USA TODAY in an email.

What are the benefits of daylight saving time?

If permanent daylight saving time takes effect, the biggest pro by far would be no sleep disruption. No need to change your clock twice a year before, at or after 2 a.m. on a Sunday in the fall and spring.

Other perks would be more time during the day to be out and about, and experts say it's better for your health — no sleep disruption. No preparing-for-bed or waking-up habits to change.

Proponents of staying on standard time year-round say the same thing.

Arizona Republic reporters Shanti Lerner and Tara Kavaler contributed to this report. Additional reporting from Ashley R. Williams, Doyle Rice and Jennifer Sangalang of the USA TODAY Network.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Daylight saving time: How would Sunshine Protection Act affect Arizona