The U.S. House passed H.R. 139 by a 308-117 vote on July 14, advancing Donald Trump daylight saving time legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. The measure now goes to the U.S. Senate, where lawmakers will decide whether to keep clocks on the summer schedule year-round.
H.R. 139 in the U.S. Senate
Under the bill, daylight saving time would no longer end at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November. In 2026, that date falls on Nov. 1, which means the current fall-back would still happen then unless the Senate advances H.R. 139 and the proposal becomes law.
The House vote gives the proposal a clear next step. The Senate now has the bill, and its members will determine whether the shift to permanent daylight saving time moves forward or stalls there.
Ohio after the clocks fall back
For Ohio, the change would alter when daylight shows up, not how much daylight exists. Permanent daylight saving time would not create more daylight; it would move an hour of morning light into the evening, leaving the state with the same amount of daylight under either system.
That would push sunrises in Columbus, Cincinnati and Akron closer to 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. in November and December. Sunsets in those cities would come about one hour later, instead of ending as early in the afternoon and early evening after the clocks change.
December sunsets in central Ohio can happen as early as 5:07 p.m. after the clocks fall back, according to the United States Naval Observatory. Under permanent daylight saving time, those evening light hours would shift later, while winter mornings would start darker.
Eastern Time and state choices
Ohio would remain on Eastern Time whether it chooses daylight saving time or not. States can decide whether to observe daylight saving time, but they cannot change time zones. Arizona and Hawaii are among the states that do not observe daylight saving time now, and they could choose the new system or keep standard time if the federal proposal changed the rule.
The United States Department of Transportation oversees time zones in the United States because time standards matter for transportation. Summers would look much the same as they do now, since daylight saving time already applies during that part of the year, but the winter change would be the part Ohioans notice first.
