This Sunday the vast majority of Americans will “spring forward” into Daylight Saving Time. Residents of 48 states, (all but Arizona and Hawaii) will set their clocks one hour ahead, sacrificing precious sleep for an hour of extra sun in the evenings. But is the World War One-era daylight preservation setup really necessary in 2023? And could this be the last time we have to do it here in Georgia?
The practice of using DST began on a national scale in 1916, when the German Empire and Austria-Hungary adopted it in an effort to save energy. As World War One exploded many nations copied the program, including the U.S. in 1918 via the ‘Standard Time Act.’ Local jurisdictions were allowed to choose whether or not to practice DST until 1966 when the ‘Uniform Time Act’ standardized it nationwide, (the aforementioned Arizona and Hawaii got out of it via legal loopholes that have since been closed).
In recent years many countries worldwide have adopted DST full-time, and many states have pushed to do the same. Supporters say extending it to year-round would increase post-work sunlight and thus spending and recreation time, would decrease energy consumption, and is good for physical and physiological health. And the reasons for needing to “fall back,” namely preserving energy, are no longer as necessary as they were in WWI or in the 1970s energy crisis. Most Americans, according to polls, are on the same page.
Last year the Georgia General Assembly passed Senate Bill 100, which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent as soon as Congress repeals the Uniform Time Act of 1966.’ The Peach State joined 18 other states in approving legislation to get on DST permanently, but none of the states can officially adopt the plan until there is action in Washington D.C.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL, has been the chief proponent of DST in the Senate, and in 2022 his Sunshine Protection Act passed the Senate before stalling out in the U.S. House of Representatives. He says he plans to bring the bill back up in 2023, hoping that a now-Republican majority House could be more amenable to the legislation.
But until it comes back up and manages to pass both chambers and receive approval by President Joe Biden, (or his successor) we’ll keep having to change the time on all our clocks twice a year. That means that come Sunday – possibly for the last time – we’ll trade that hour of sleep for a little bit of sunshine once again.
