Is this the last time we ‘fall back’? Where the Daylight Saving Time bill is at
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-Could this be the last year we ‘fall back’ and leave Daylight Saving Time?
If a proposed federal law called the Sunshine Protection Act passes, it could be.
“The Sunshine Protection Act would essentially switch the United States to Daylight Saving Time all year round. So rather than doing our clock change every year we would stay in Daylight Saving all year round which would have the effect of being lighter longer in the evening,” said WKU Political Science Associate Professor Jeffrey Budziak, Ph. D.
The Senate has passed the bill. But right now, the House of Representatives has not touched it. If they were to pass the bill, President Biden would also have to sign it before it becomes law.
“People forget we actually did this in the 1970s,” said Budziak.
While Daylight Saving Time has been practiced since 1918, the United States actually tried permanent Daylight Saving Time in 1973.
“It was supposed to be a two year experiment but people hated it so much we actually stopped it early,” said Budziak.
Budziak says depending on where you live, you would either love it or hate it… even though you have an extra hour of sunlight later in the evening, others stay in darkness until late morning.
Geographically here in Kentucky, it gets dark early. An extra hour of sunlight after school or work could be beneficial, and doctors say it could also help those prone to seasonal depression.
“We know that day length is a factor in mood disorders in general, major depressive disorder in particular,” said Med Center Health Psychiatrist Dr. Grau.
Seasonal affective disorder is treated just like depression.
“It’s the same syndrome. It just occurs with seasonal variation. There are some people who demonstrate a pattern of depression during the short days,” said Dr. Grau.
While we wait to learn if the Sunshine Protection Act will become law, prepare to set your clocks back and leave Daylight Saving Time on November 6th.
