(CNN) — The US House on Tuesday voted in strong bipartisan fashion to enact year-round Daylight Saving Time across the country. But the measure’s fate in the Senate remains far from certain.
Senate Republican leaders have not said whether they will bring the bill – known as the “Sunshine Protection Act” – to a floor vote. Majority Leader John Thune has previously opposed efforts to default the nation to permanent Daylight Saving Time, but on Wednesday did not rule out scheduling a future floor vote.
Here’s what we know about what’s next:
What exactly have Senate GOP leaders said about the bill?
Thune, who represents South Dakota, would not rule out bringing the bill to a vote when pressed by reporters on Wednesday – even though in the past, he opposed a similar push to adopt Daylight Saving Time year round.
He told reporters at the Capitol he believes the House bill provides optionality for states who use permanent standard time. The bill allows states to buck the switch to saving time, so long as they adopt permanent standard time before it takes effect. Residents in Hawaii, much of Arizona, and other US territories all observe permanent standard time.
“I think the main concern is that there’s optionality for states, and my understanding is that’s in the House bill. I just don’t think we want a mandate and that was tried once before and repealed,” he said. “But you know, we’re looking at it. You know, the House had a big vote. There’s a lot of interest in it from members on our side over here. Some for, some against.”
Asked if it can get the necessary 60 votes to break a filibuster, Thune said that “remains to be seen.” He added “that’s not an issue that we’ve really probed much yet.”
When asked if he would support the measure, Thune would only note he comes from a “northern” climate and that he opposed a similar measure when it was voted on in the Senate Commerce committee last April.
Is it facing any opposition in the Senate?
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has staunchly opposed moves towards year-round Daylight Saving Time. He remains opposed, dashing any proponents’ hopes that the Senate will quickly approve the bill on the floor through a process known as unanimous consent, which requires all 100 senators to agree to an expedited vote.
Cotton’s strong opposition means GOP leaders would be wary of using up valuable floor time on an issue he would filibuster.
The Arkansas senator hasn’t been shy about his opposition, and has warned that a later sunrise would endanger children who will be forced to commute to school in the dark.
Cotton and other opponents of the change also contend the shift would devastate workers – like construction crews, farmers, factory hands – who would have to report to their jobs in the dark. Some areas of the US do not see the sun rise until after 9 a.m. during Daylight Saving Time.
Has the Senate taken up this issue before?
Congress has moved before to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. It adopted a measure in the 1970s, as the US was experiencing an energy crisis, but swiftly reversed course amid deep unpopularity.
In 2022, senators passed a version of a Daylight Saving Time bill through swift action on the floor – facing no objections from their colleagues. It did not get a floor vote in the House.
Cotton later revealed he would have blocked that effort, and vowed to object to any future efforts to pass that kind of legislation quickly on the floor.
In 2025, a bipartisan group of senators sought unanimous consent to pass a bill to enact daylight saving year round, but were thwarted by Cotton.
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