Daylight saving ends in November. Will 'spring forward, fall back' practice ever end in SC?

Nina Tran, Greenville News
Updated ·3 min read

South Carolinians will get an extra hour of sleep with the end of daylight saving time (DST) on the horizon.

The roll back to standard time occurs at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5, when the day will set back an hour to 1 a.m.

In 2020, the South Carolina Legislature voted to make DST permanent. Clocks would no longer have to be changed twice a year.

However, Congress has the final say on whether any law regarding time changes can take effect.

Still, lawmakers have attempted to find ways to circumvent the waiting period.

Since 2021, lawmakers have introduced legislation to direct S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson to request a waiver from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to make daylight savings time permanent after the clock jumps an hour ahead in March 2024. The most recent version of the bill is still in the House Judiciary Committee.

U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who oversees the 5th Congressional District in the Upstate, also introduced a similar bill called the "Daylight Act" earlier this year. A provision of the bill called for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study, where the U.S. Comptroller General would present a report exploring the results of implementing daylight savings year-round within two years of the bill's passage.

"There are a number of health problems associated with time change year after year. Permanent daylight savings is certainly worth exploring for positive health benefits and increased safety for Americans. This legislation would give states the freedom to opt into year-round daylight savings, as well as continuing the option of year-round standard time," Norman said in a March press statement.

Sunshine Protection Act seeks to end DST

In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson officially made DST a standard practice in the U.S., now other officials are working to change the practice.

Florida Sen. Rubio proposed the Sunshine Protection Act to put an end to the falling-back phase of DST. Here are some of the things included in Rubio's proposed act to end DST:

  • The American Journal of Public Health said better alignment of daylight hours with drivers’ standard work hours will increase visibility and may reduce car crashes. The Department of Transportation also supported this information.

  • The change could reduce the risk of cardiac issues, stroke and seasonal depression due to disruption of circadian rhythms.

  • A 2015 Brooking Institute study said the end of DST could lead to a decrease in robberies by up to 27 percent because of additional daylight in the evenings.

  • A study by JP Morgan Chase found there is an economic activity drop of 2-5 percent when clocks are moved back.

  • The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity and the Journal of Physical Activity and Health said there could be a reduction in childhood obesity and increased physical fitness for all Americans due to more hours of sunshine in which to be active.

  • The Journal of Environmental Psychology found that during DST, pedestrian traffic increases by 62 percent and cyclist activity increases by 38 percent.

  • A U.S. Department of Energy report in 2008 showed that the end of DST could mean a savings of 0.5 percent in electricity per day, a total of 1.3 trillion watt-hours. Other studies have shown mixed results in actual savings.

When is daylight saving time 2024?

After ending this November, daylight saving time will return at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10, 2024, and last until Sunday, Nov. 3, two days before the 2024 election.

Who is in charge of daylight saving time?

The U.S. Department of Transportation oversees the observance of daylight saving time as well as U.S. time zones, according to transportation.gov. The DOT said energy reduction and reduced crime are reasons for having both standard and daylight saving time.

Angele Latham of the Nashville Tennessean and Anthony Robledo and Jennifer Sangalang of USA Today Network contributed to this story.

Nina Tran covers trending topics. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Some in SC have been outspoken about permanent daylight saving time