U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is joining efforts to do away with annual rituals of springing forward and falling back.
The Alabama Republican has joined as a co-sponsor to the Sunshine Protection Act. The act, first introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, would make daylight saving time permanent.
“It’s time to give folks an hour of sunshine back in the winter months and permanently adopt daylight saving time. Centuries ago, a time change might have made sense, but it doesn’t today. I hope the Senate will pass the Sunshine Protection Act to modernize this outdated practice,” Tuberville said.
Daylight saving time started during World War I as a way to conserve energy. It was originally mandated for six months until, in 2005, Congress extended DST to eight months, starting on the second Sunday in March and ending on the first Sunday in November. The Sunshine Protection Act would eliminate the need for changing the clocks to standard time for four months,
“In sum, if enacted, we would not “fall back” in November and would enjoy a full year of DST instead of only eight months,” the bill’s writers said.
The bill would not alter or change time zones or mandate places that don’t observe DST – including Hawaii and most of Arizona – make the change.
Daylight saving time 2022 will begin March 13 and end Nov. 6
