Updated October 23, 2026, 3:25 p.m. ET
With much attention focused on the upcoming midterm elections and congressional recess, the ongoing debate over legislation to end the nation’s biannual time change has taken a back seat, with no results.
That means most Americans will set their clocks back one hour on November 1, as usual.
Despite President Donald Trump’s efforts in recent months and growing public support for ending time changes, lawmakers have yet to send the Sunshine Protection Act to the president’s desk. For now, federal law remains unchanged, and most Americans should prepare for a rollback.
Here’s what you need to know about the end of DST and the clock change.
When does daylight saving time end in 2026?
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 1, when clocks go back one hour at 1 a.m.
This change marks the return to standard time and gives Americans an extra hour of sleep. It also brings earlier sunsets and more morning light as winter approaches.
Under current law, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
Why do Americans still change their time?
The answer is simple: Congress has not yet changed the law.
The Sun Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate biannual clock changes, passed the House in July by a vote of 301 to 117. But the bill is stalled in the Senate, the final hurdle before it can reach Trump’s desk.
Lawmakers left Washington before taking this action, leaving the existing system intact.
As a result, clocks in most of the country will go back to November 1.
What does Trump want?
Trump has repeatedly urged Congress to end the biannual time change and keep the country on daylight saving time year-round.
“Republicans in the Senate must move forward on what I call the ‘Change the Clock Act,’ officially known as the Sunshine Protection Act,” Trump wrote in an Oct. 2 article on Truth Social.
Calling the current system “ridiculous,” Trump argued that changing the time twice a year is expensive, stressful and unpopular with the public.
“People don’t want to change their time anymore and, by far, most people would rather have an extra hour of sunlight in the evening than in the morning,” he added.
Are Republican lawmakers divided on permanent daylight saving time?
Despite Trump’s support, several Senate Republicans remain unconvinced.
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said that while he doesn’t like changing the time, Congress once experimented with permanent daylight saving time only to reverse course after many Americans objected to extremely late winter sunrises.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has also expressed skepticism, telling Politico on October 5 that there is “no clear path forward” for legislation making DST permanent.
Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi raised similar concerns, citing safety concerns in northern and rural states where children might wait for school buses in the dark on winter mornings.
That opposition has become a significant obstacle to legislation that appeared to gain momentum earlier this year.
Do Americans want to end time changes?
Polls suggest that many Americans support ending the practice.
A 2023 YouGov survey found that 62% of Americans supported ending time changes. A January 2025 Gallup poll also found that 54% of respondents wanted to eliminate the practice.
Yet Americans remain divided over what should replace it.
Some support permanent daylight saving time, which would provide more daylight in the evening. Meanwhile, others favor permanent standard time, which would bring more morning sunlight during the winter months.
The debate gained more attention in March 2025 when Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, then head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), conducted a poll on X asking users whether they would prefer clocks to stay an hour earlier or later if the changes were removed.
More than 1.3 million users responded, with 58% favoring later daylight and 42% preferring earlier daylight.
Is permanent daylight saving time really a good idea?
While many Americans agree that they don’t like changing their clocks twice a year, experts remain divided on whether permanent daylight saving time is the solution.
Sleep researchers generally agree that changing clocks can disrupt circadian rhythms and affect sleep. Many experts say permanent standard time would be healthier than permanent daylight saving time because it aligns more closely with the body’s natural clock.
Christopher Barnes, a professor at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, said the appeal of daylight saving time often comes from the promise of brighter evenings.
“A lot of people seem to like daylight saving time because there’s more daylight available in the evening, and they picture themselves having lots of evening barbecues outside that they could enjoy,” Barnes told USA TODAY.
But he warned that permanent daylight saving time could create long-term circadian misalignment for many Americans.
“The high prevalence of permanent circadian misalignment that permanent DST would produce would be bad for sleep and health,” Barnes said, adding that sleep disruptions are linked to less workplace engagement, reduced performance, reduced creativity and other negative effects.
Do all states observe daylight saving time?
No.
Several U.S. states and territories remain on standard time year-round:
- Hawaii
- Most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation)
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
How did DST become law?
The Uniform Time Act of 1966, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, established the framework for daylight saving time in the United States.
Only Congress can permanently change the nation’s biannual clock change system, although the U.S. Transportation Secretary oversees its administration under federal law. So far, neither has changed it.
Whether lawmakers ultimately choose permanent daylight saving time, permanent standard time, or leave the current system unchanged, Americans will experience one more clock change this year. If Congress does not act, clocks in most of the country will go back an hour at 2 a.m. on November 1.
Contributor: Reuters; Bart Jensen, Zachary Schermele, Jorge L. Ortiz, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Emily DeLetter, Julia Gomez, Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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