PENNSYLVANIA — Later sunsets and more time to enjoy outdoor activities at the end of the day are just around the corner in Pennsylvania with the beginning of daylight saving time.
Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10, when clocks move forward one hour, automatically in the case of clocks on digital devices.
Nothing meaningful has happened legislatively to end the twice-a-year “spring forward” and “fall back” ritual. Many Americans favor year-round daylight saving time, but the legislation has gained little momentum.
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Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s Sunshine Protection Act of 2023 would have made daylight saving time permanent. Two Republican congressmen, Alabama’s Mike Rogers and South Carolina’s Ralph Norman proposed similar pieces of legislation that would give states the power to permanently remain on daylight saving time.
Dozens of states are considering proposals to adopt either year-round daylight saving time or standard time.
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In Pennsylvania, legislation was introduced in both the Senate and the House in 2023 that, if passed, would have made daylight saving time permanent in the state if authorized by Congress.
Another piece of legislation introduced by Republican Rep. Russ Diamond would have prohibited the use of daylight saving time, while a final bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Lisa Boscola would have adopted year-round standard time in Pennsylvania.
None of the bills advanced in their respective chamber.
States can’t switch to permanent daylight saving time on their own. Neither can they opt out of the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which mandated daylight saving time, without either federal approval from the U.S. transportation secretary or an act of Congress.
In their request to opt out, officials from sunny Arizona argued earlier sunsets bring reprieve from sizzling daytime temperatures. Because Hawaii is located so close to the equator, there isn’t much difference in how much sun the islands see at any given time of the year.
Although “springing forward” is often associated with the beginning of spring, the vernal equinox doesn’t occur until Tuesday, March 19. Daylight saving time is scheduled to end on Nov. 3.
Daylight saving time has been around since World War I. But it became the law of the land more than 50 years ago with the Uniform Time Act of 1966, though the exact dates — now the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November — have changed some over the years.
Who really benefits from the time change?
Proponents may argue that longer evenings motivate people to get out of the house. The extra hour of daylight can be used for outdoor recreation such as golf, soccer, baseball, running and more. It also benefits the tourism industry.
However, critics say the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. The time change can mess with our body clocks and circadian rhythms, making for some restless nights and sleepy days. It also is difficult to quantify the economic cost of the collective tiredness caused by daylight saving time, but studies have found a decrease in productivity after the spring transition.
Tips To Help Adjust
So, what are the best ways to avoid sleep deprivation? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this already affects about one-third of adults in the United States. Here are some tips:
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