Should you turn back the clock for daylight saving in NC? Didn’t Congress vote it away?

It’s almost time for clocks to “fall back” one hour as North Carolina heads into the end of daylight saving time.

Most of the U.S. begins daylight saving time on the second Sunday in March ahead of spring and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November.

This year, daylight saving time ends on Nov. 5 at 2 a.m.

But that does mean some states haven’t attempted to change it. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, nearly 30 states, including North Carolina, have introduced legislation for year-round daylight saving time. But federal statutes must be changed to allow for the switch.

The Sunshine Protection Act, introduced in the Senate in 2021, would ensure Americans no longer have to change their clocks twice a year. If it clears the House and is signed into law by President Joe Biden, year-round daylight saving time would apply to all states.

But the bill has remained in the House since March 2022.

What is the purpose of daylight saving time?

As the name implies, daylight saving time is a way to save energy and light during the spring and summer months.

A study by the U.S. Department of Energy found that the four-week extension of daylight saving time in 2008 saved about 0.5% of the nation’s electricity per day or 1.3 trillion watt-hours – enough to power 100,000 households for an entire year.

Studies have also shown that the extra hour of daylight has resulted in safer roads, lower crime rates, and economic benefits.

Critics, however, say more dark mornings could lead to grogginess for commuters and parents who drive their children to school, especially in the winter.

Other concerns about daylight saving time included disruptions to harvesting schedules for farmers, interference with religious observances based on solar and lunar time, and potential delays in reworking computer systems programmed to switch twice a year.

Is daylight saving always the same time of year?

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established national start and end dates for daylight saving time.

However, the act allows states to exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time under state law.

Arizona and Hawaii, along with the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, observe permanent standard time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.