Summer Time: When does it start?
Are you ready for more sunshine? Daylight saving time is just around the corner.
More than 5.6 million people will turn their clocks forward for the last time in March.
They just aren’t here in the US.
British Columbia, one of Canada’s largest provinces, announced a permanent shift to daylight saving time, citing tensions with its southern neighbor among its reasons.
Previously, this state changed over time in sync with the U.S. West Coast. The government said it waited to make the change because it wanted to coordinate with states that border the United States.
“Recent actions by the United States have changed the way B.C. approaches decisions that merit adjustment, including regarding time zones,” the government said. “These changes reflect the current preferences and needs of British Columbians and will help ensure that British Columbia is well-positioned to thrive even as conditions across our borders change.”
The British Columbia government announced the move after a 2019 poll found an overwhelming majority (93%) supported permanent daylight saving time.
The idea of daylight saving time in the United States tends to eliminate time changes. A Gallup poll found that by January 2025, more than half of Americans (54%) want to eliminate the practice of daylight saving time.
British Columbia said it is eliminating the time changes to “improve people’s overall health, reduce disruption for families, simplify schedules and provide an additional hour of nighttime light during the winter months.”
After the March 8th time change, residents and businesses would normally have eight months to prepare for November 1st, when clocks are set back one hour, but this year will be no different. British Columbia will refer to its time zone as Pacific Time. During the winter, the state aligns with neighboring Alberta and other regions on Mountain Standard Time, and during the rest of the year, it aligns with Pacific Standard Time, as observed in California, Washington state, Oregon, and more.
Twice a year, in March when we move “forward” and in November when we move “backward,” there is a renewed call to adopt permanent time. But even though the United States appears to be moving toward change, or rather the end of change, only two states and some U.S. territories maintain the same hours throughout the year.
Will the final time in the US ever change?
There are rumors that the United States may join some of Canada’s neighbors. But the federal government hasn’t allowed it yet.
No state can implement permanent daylight saving time unless the U.S. Congress first passes a law authorizing daylight saving time. But several states have adopted or are considering legislation to make the switch if Congress thinks so. States, like most states like Hawaii and Arizona, can use a permanent standard time.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, hundreds of bills and resolutions related to daylight saving time have been introduced in states in recent years. In 2026, 23 measures are pending in at least 16 states. According to NCSL, a small majority favors permanent standard time over permanent daylight saving time.
As of March 2026, there are 18 states that will implement permanent daylight saving time if Congress approves and, in some cases, neighboring states also make permanent changes to daylight saving time.
During his time in the Senate, Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly called for legislation to make daylight saving time permanent. The Sunshine Protection Act passed the Senate in 2022, but did not advance in the House.
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 has also been introduced, but remains stalled in committee, NCSL reported. There’s also the Daylight Saving Time Act of 2026, which would move U.S. time zones forward by 30 minutes and leave them there permanently, splitting the difference between daylight saving time and standard time.
President Donald Trump has at times said he supports repealing the time change, but he has also appeared hesitant, calling it a “50-50 issue” last year.
“If something is a 50-50 issue, it’s hard to get excited about it,” Trump said last March. “I think people want more light later on, but some people want more light earlier on because they don’t want to take their kids to school in the dark…That’s something I can do, too, but a lot of people like it in one way and a lot of people like it in another way.”
Here’s what the science says about daylight saving time and health
Experts say changing your clock twice a year could have negative health effects. Eric Herzog, a professor of biology and neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis and past president of the Society for the Study of Biological Rhythms, previously told USA TODAY that a permanent standard time would be most beneficial.
Herzog said the change in time disrupts the circadian rhythm, or body clock. Jumping forward is more taxing on the body than falling backwards, he says. Herzog said the spring change has been linked to an increase in heart attacks and car accidents. Research shows that earlier sunrises and sunsets have better health effects. Waking up naturally with sunlight is much better for your body than relying on an alarm clock to wake you up in the dark, he said.
According to a study by the University of Colorado Boulder, car accidents increased by 6% after the change to daylight savings time in the spring.
“The medical and scientific communities are united in saying that a permanent standard time is better for human health,” Herzog told USA TODAY in 2024.
