It's almost that time of year again for Californians: setting their clocks back one hour.
The annual fall time change is slated to come even as Congress considers legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.
Unless Congress acts before Nov. 1, Californians will turn their clocks back one hour when daylight saving time ends. If lawmakers eventually make daylight saving time permanent, Californians would see later winter sunrises and later evening daylight year-round.
The bill has passed the U.S. House and was referred to a committee in the Senate. No vote has been scheduled as of Aug. 27, USA TODAY reports.
The Senate is in recess until Sept. 14, and key lawmakers have questioned whether there are enough votes to pass the measure before
the fall time change, according to USA TODAY.
That leaves the question of whether this will be the year the country stops changing its clocks.
Here's when Californians are scheduled to change their clocks in 2026.
When does daylight saving time end in 2026? When do clocks fall back?
Unless Congress acts, daylight saving time is scheduled to end at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, when clocks move back one hour to 1 a.m.
The shift will give Californians an extra hour of sleep but also brings earlier sunsets during the winter.
What is daylight saving time?
We change the time so more sunlight happens "during more of the hours when people are typically active," according to a Congressional Research Service report.
Daylight saving time started in 1918, although the regulations governing it have changed multiple times. The current schedule was introduced in 2007 following the Energy Policy Act of 2005, according to Time and Date.
Typically, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, Time and Date says.
Do all states observe daylight saving time?
No. Several states and U.S. territories remain on standard time year-round:
- Hawaii
- Most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation)
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. Virgin Islands
Most of the rest of the country continues to switch between daylight saving time and standard time each year.
What does Trump want?
President Donald Trump has long supported ending the twice-yearly clock changes.
In an Aug. 4 post on Truth Social, he called the practice "foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly."
"People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year," Trump wrote.
The president argued that Americans overwhelmingly support the move and highlighted what he described as the benefits of permanent daylight saving time, including fewer traffic accidents, lower crime, energy savings and more time for families and outdoor activities.
"In other words, leave it as it is now, and never change again," Trump wrote. "LET'S PASS THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT, ASAP."
While the debate over clock switching takes place almost every year, it gained new attention after Trump publicly urged senators to approve the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes.
The House approved the bill in July, but its fate in the Senate remains uncertain. With the Nov. 1 time change approaching, lawmakers are running short on time if they hope to change the system before Nov. 1.
Will the Senate pass the bill?
That's far from certain.
Even with support from Trump and lawmakers in both parties, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has questioned whether enough senators support the legislation.
If the Senate approves the measure, it would head to Trump's desk for his signature. Until that happens, Americans should still plan on changing their clocks Nov. 1.
Not everyone agrees on the solution
While many experts support ending the clock changes, they don't necessarily agree with Trump's preferred approach.
Sleep and health researchers say moving clocks twice a year disrupts the body's circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep and other biological functions. The spring time change, when clocks move forward an hour, has been linked to sleep disruption, traffic crashes and increased health risks.
But many specialists argue that permanent standard time, not permanent daylight saving time, would be the healthier option.
Erik Herzog, a biology and neuroscience professor at Washington University in St. Louis and former president of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, previously told USA TODAY that permanent standard time would better align with the body's natural clock.
Americans are ready to stop changing the clocks
Public opinion polls suggest many Americans have grown tired of the twice-yearly ritual.
A 2023 YouGov survey found 62% favored eliminating clock changes. A January 2025 Gallup poll found 54% wanted to end the practice, though Americans were divided over whether the nation should adopt permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California's next time change is coming. Here's when
