Daylight saving time in the Four States area will begin at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10. Residents will be “springing forward” by moving their clocks ahead one hour.
Spring will officially arrive on March 19, marking a change in the season.
As we bid farewell to winter, numerous state legislatures are considering an end to the practice of time change. The crucial question arises: If we cease the tradition of adjusting our clocks twice a year, which direction should we choose to leave them?
Federal law currently permits states to choose to opt out of daylight saving time (DST) and instead adhere to standard time year-round. This means that the period of “fall back” from November to March would become the permanent time throughout the year.
In Arizona and Hawaii, residents never adjust their clocks as these two states observe standard time year-round.
Federal law does not permit states to make daylight saving time permanent.
According to a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures on Daylight Saving Time, here is where the Four States currently stand in their efforts to maintain daylight saving time throughout the year. However, it is important to note that Congress would need to take action before any official changes can be made by the states.
ARKANSAS
In December 2022, State Representative Johnny Rye put forth a bill in the Arkansas House proposing the adoption of year-round daylight saving time. However, in January 2023, he decided to withdraw the bill and instead suggested that its effects be thoroughly examined by a committee on governmental affairs.
In March 2023, State Representative Stephen Meeks presented a bill to the Arkansas House proposing the adoption of standard time year-round, thereby eliminating Daylight Saving Time (DST). Unfortunately, the initiative did not succeed in the House.
KANSAS
In 2019, Kansas lawmakers introduced a bill regarding daylight saving time. The bill aimed to exempt the state from observing DST. However, the bill was not successful and did not progress further in 2020.
In 2021, Kansas lawmakers took a different approach when they introduced House Bill 2060, which aimed to establish permanent Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the state of Kansas. Unfortunately, HB 2060 ultimately did not pass and was not enacted into law, as it reached its end in May 2022.
All attempts made by Kansas lawmakers to switch to year-round Daylight Saving Time (DST) have been unsuccessful.
MISSOURI
In 2021, Missouri lawmakers introduced House Bill 848, which aimed to establish permanent daylight saving time in the Show-Me State. The plan required three out of eight neighboring states to adopt the same measure. Although it was approved by the Missouri House, the state Senate did not vote on the bill before the session concluded.
In 2023, two House bills were being considered to make DST permanent: House Bill 157 and House Bill 265. Unfortunately, both bills did not pass.
Current members in Missouri are not confident that DST will be ended this year, despite previous versions of the bill making progress in past sessions.
In a recent article published in the Columbia Missourian, it was stated that Representative Darin Chappell, a Republican from Rogersville, and Representative Michael Burton, a Democrat from Lakeshire, expressed skepticism about the Missouri Senate prioritizing a bill like this in the current session.
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma Senator Blake Stephens, a Republican from Tahlequah, has recently introduced a bill to permanently establish daylight saving time in the state. The bill aims to “lock the clock” and put an end to the practice of changing clocks twice a year.
Senator Stephens is the author of Senate Bill 1200, which proposes that the state can discontinue changing clocks if a federal law permitting such time change is enacted. In late February, the bill successfully progressed out of the state’s Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
During the previous legislative session, the Oklahoma Legislature had previously considered a bill that aimed to establish permanent Daylight Saving Time (DST). Senator Stephens co-authored a similar bill (Senate Bill 7) which successfully passed the state Senate but was not heard in the House.
Uniform Time Act
In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which mandated that state governments, if they choose to observe daylight saving time, must adhere to federally determined dates for the start and end of this practice.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation website, under the Uniform Time Act, States have the option to exempt themselves from observing Daylight Saving Time through State law. However, it is important to note that States do not have the authority to choose to be on permanent Daylight Saving Time.
Daylight Saving Time (DST) will come to an end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3rd this year.
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