With just six weeks until we turn the clocks back, the sun is setting earlier, and people are noticing the change.
Daylight saving time remains a divisive issue nearly 60 years after the Uniform Time Act was passed in Congress, with some states still seeking to skip the twice-annual time change.
The clocks shift ahead by an hour in the spring in most of the United States, and then roll back an hour in the fall, but some states either want to discard with the practice entirely, or want to shift their clocks forward and never go back.
Here’s what you need to know.
When do clocks change this year?
Under federal law, those states participating in daylight saving time will roll their clocks back at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, which this year falls on Nov. 3.
Clocks will then spring forward on the second Sunday in March 2025, which will fall on March 9.
Do all states participate in daylight saving time?
Local
Most states do participate in the twice-annual clock changes, but Arizona and Hawaii do not, having opted out of the practice.
Can states decide their own time?
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Under provisions of the Uniform Time Act, states have the option of either participating in daylight saving time, committing to springing forward and rolling back clocks on the appointed days, or to opt out of the practice altogether, keeping year-round standard time.
States cannot opt to keep daylight saving time on a permanent basis under provisions of the act.
However, many states have passed legislation that would convert them to year-round daylight saving time should Congress alter the Uniform Time Act. According to KGW, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee all have laws on the books that would allow for the states to observe permanent daylight saving time if Congress would allow them to do so.
Are there efforts to adopt year-round DST in Illinois, Indiana?
While there have been laws proposed to observe permanent daylight saving time in Illinois, none have passed the General Assembly, according to lawmakers.
The same is true in Indiana, where most of the state operates on Eastern time and the northwestern counties of Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties operate on Central time.
In Michigan, a referendum was proposed for voters that would have allowed for a vote on daylight saving time, but it was referred to committee and did not pass in time for the 2024 election.
