Spring forward: Half-daylight saving bill proposed ahead of daylight saving time March 8

A new bill aims to end twice-yearly clock changes with a twist. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., introduced the Daylight Act of 2026, according to a report by The Hill. It would shift clocks forward a half hour permanently.

This comes as Americans prepare for the next daylight saving time switch. The proposal seeks a less drastic disruption to prevent people from losing an hour of sleep and having to adjust to longer darkness in the morning.

Key 2026 dates set

Daylight saving time starts Sunday, March 8. Clocks spring forward from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., when we’ll see evenings gain more light and mornings lose it.

It ends Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. Clocks fall back then. The shift gives summer evenings more sun, per the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Not everyone joins in. Most of Arizona and Hawaii skip daylight saving time, according to Yahoo News. Indiana reportedly started in first in 2006, while the U.S. first tried it in 1918, as reported by Time & Date.

Experts weigh health risks

A half-hour change beats a full hour, experts say, but it still cuts morning light. Dr. Karin Johnson, American Academy of Sleep Medicine spokesperson, told Nexstar via email, according to The Hill, "Medically, a half hour delay would be less harmful than a full hour delay of permanent daylight saving time and would have the benefit of ending the biannual change."

Johnson noted standard time aligns better with health. It avoids half-hour sync issues. Jay Pea, Save Standard Time president, said, "the design of Standard Time (when aligned properly to longitude) is to minimize misalignment between clocks and the sun to within 30 minutes or fewer," The Hill reported.

Read more on Chicago Star

• O’Hare gate wars: American doubles size of Admirals Club in ongoing battle with United

• Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano: Legends return for MMA Netflix fight

• O’Hare offers first look at new $1.3B Concourse D

• Chicago Bulls’ new star Josh Giddey secures luxury $4.45M pad in River North

Pea added complications for tech, travel, and business. Global time zones stick to hours mostly. Places like Afghanistan use half-hour offsets, like +4.5 UTC.

"I appreciate the congressman’s willingness to explore alternatives to. However, remains both the simplest solution and the true compromise between fast and slow time, as supported by health science, historical precedence, and first principles," Pea said, in part, to Nexstar, according to The Hill.

Steube once backed full permanent daylight saving time. Florida pushes the Sunshine Protection Act for that. His new bill sits in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

According to The Hill, another Daylight Act by Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, lets states opt for year-round daylight saving. States consider their own bills, too. The half-hour idea stirs fresh debate on time.