The Senate voted to make daylight saving time permanent. Here's how it could affect Indiana

Claire Rafford, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read
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This past Sunday, clocks "sprangforward" as Hoosiers rejoiced over an extra hour of sunshine after work, lamented losing an hour of sleep and parents everywhere feared the disruption to their children's schedule.

This could be one of the last times Americans face such confusion.

On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously voted to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent starting next year.

Daylight saving time:Everything you need to know

For Hoosiers, this means that the time we "spring forward" to would be the time for the rest of the year, an hour ahead of what is currently known as standard time. If adopted, people would no longer have to change their clocks twice a year. Winter mornings would be darker, but afternoons would have more hours of light.

The change would not go into effect until November 2023, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the bill's co-sponsors, said. This delay would allow airlines and the transportation industry to evaluate the effects on their schedules.

The legislation now goes to the House. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fl.), who introduced the House version of the Sunshine Protection Act in 2021, told USA TODAY that he would write a letter urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to consider the bill immediately.

According to timeanddate.com, the shortest day of 2021 in Indianapolis was Dec. 21. On that day, the winter solstice, the sun rose at 8:02 a.m. and set at 5:23 p.m. Without the adjustment back to standard time, Hoosiers wouldn't see the sun rise until past 9 a.m.

Indiana's history with daylight saving time

Famously, Indiana is split between two time zones. Most of the state is in the Eastern time zone, but several counties near Gary and Evansville remain in the Central time zone.

This compromise resulted from legislation signed by President Richard Nixon in 1972, which put most of Indiana on Eastern time except the northwestern and southwestern counties, though those would observe daylight savings in the summer and fall.

More on the DST saga: Why Indiana observes daylight saving time

Indiana's relationship with daylight saving time as we know it today began in 2006, when then-Gov. Mitch Daniels pushed the change, arguing not springing forward and falling back confused people outside the state and was bad for business.

After a series of votes, subsequent failures and political maneuvers, a bill standardizing daylight saving time in Indiana squeaked out a passage in the state legislature in 2005. Indiana became the 48th state to implement the practice statewide.

In April 2006, all Hoosiers set their clocks forward , though the northwestern and southwestern counties remained in the Central time zone.

This marked Indiana's 16th year of changing clocks twice a year, and possibly one of the last.

USA Today and Justin L. Mack contributed to this report.

Contact IndyStar trending reporter Claire Rafford at crafford@gannett.com or on Twitter @clairerafford.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Daylight savings time: How federal legislation could affect Indiana