Days continue to shorten as the Northern Hemisphere moves toward the winter solstice, and many people are wondering whether America will change time again.
As Nov. 1 approaches, the Sunshine Protection Act remains stalled in the Senate. Unless Congress acts soon, Tennesseans will once again set their clocks back an hour when daylight saving time ends this fall.
The change in law has the backing of President Donald Trump, who has been vocal about the need for permanent daylight saving time.
"People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year," Trump wrote, arguing permanent daylight saving time would give people more daylight in the evening.
"In other words, leave it as it is now, and never change again," he wrote. "LET'S PASS
THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT, ASAP."
Here’s what time could look like if the Sunshine Protection Act passes before Nov. 1.
Will Tennessee change clocks back in November?
With no action expected before November, Tennesseans and millions of Americans are expected to set their clocks back one hour again when daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1.
The Senate returned from a five-week recess on Sept. 14 with no vote scheduled on the Sunshine Protection Act that would make daylight saving time permanent. Another recess, meanwhile, is set to begin Oct. 5 and end Nov. 6. Barring congressional action, Americans should still plan to turn their clocks back Nov. 1.
The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House with bipartisan support earlier this summer. However, the measure still must clear the Senate and be signed by Trump before it can become law.
With Congress yet to act and Nov. 1 approaching, the window for passing the legislation before the time change is rapidly closing, meaning Tennesseans and the rest of the country remain on track to "fall back" this fall.
Is Tennessee among the states that passed daylight saving time laws?
While states can opt out of the Sunshine Protection Act, Tennessee already plans to opt in.
In 2019, Gov. Bill Lee signed a trigger law that would enact permanent daylight saving time in Tennessee, pending federal approval from Congress.
If the Senate approves the Sunshine Protection Act and Trump signs it before November, Tennessee's 2019 trigger law would take effect on Nov. 1.
Tennessee already observes daylight saving time from early March to early November. Permanent daylight saving time would affect sunrise and sunset for only about four months each year.
How sunrise and sunset times would change in Tennessee under permanent daylight saving time
Using the winter solstice, Dec. 21, as an example, here's how sunrise and sunset times would look on the shortest day of the year across major Tennessee cities if daylight saving time were observed year-round.
Chattanooga
- Current sunrise, sunset: 7:45 a.m. / 5:33 p.m.
- Under permanent daylight saving time: 8:45 a.m. / 6:33 p.m.
Clarksville
- Current sunrise, sunset: 6:57 a.m. / 4:37 p.m.
- Under permanent daylight saving time: 7:57 a.m. / 5:37 p.m.
Knoxville
- Current sunrise, sunset: 7:42 a.m. / 5:25 p.m.
- Under permanent daylight saving time: 8:42 a.m. / 6:25 p.m.
Jackson
- Current sunrise, sunset: 7:01 a.m. / 4:45 p.m.
- Under permanent daylight saving time: 8:01 a.m. / 5:45 p.m.
Memphis
- Current sunrise, sunset: 7:04 a.m. / 4:52 p.m.
- Under permanent daylight saving time: 8:04 a.m. / 5:52 p.m.
Nashville
- Current sunrise, sunset: 6:54 a.m. / 4:36 p.m.
- Under permanent daylight saving time: 7:54 a.m. / 5:36 p.m.
19 states passed laws to make daylight saving time permanent
In total, 19 states have enacted laws to make daylight saving time permanent, but these laws cannot go into effect until Congress allows it at the federal level. Some states have led the way on daylight saving time legislation, such as Florida, which passed the nation's first law of its kind in 2018.
Others followed in the ensuing years. In 2026, 16 states introduced 23 bills concerning daylight saving and standard time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Under current federal law, states can opt to observe permanent standard time, as Arizona and Hawaii have, but cannot do the same with daylight saving time.
- Alabama
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
When will Congress vote on permanent daylight saving time?
If Congress is going to stop Americans from changing their clocks on Nov. 1, time is running out.
The Senate returned to Washington on Sept. 14 after a five-week recess, but the Sunshine Protection Act still hasn't been scheduled for a vote. With no floor action planned and another congressional recess set to begin Oct. 5, lawmakers have little time left to act before daylight saving time ends this fall.
That means Americans are increasingly likely to find themselves doing something many hoped would be a thing of the past: turning their clocks back an hour on Nov. 1.
For now, no Senate vote is scheduled, and it's unclear whether the chamber plans to take up the bill before clocks fall back. Unless that changes soon, the twice-yearly ritual isn't going anywhere in 2026.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Will clocks fall back in 2026? Latest on daylight saving time changes
