Utah congresswoman still fighting to end daylight saving time changes, but warns it could take time

SALT LAKE CITY — As Utahns once again try to adjust to setting their clocks forward an hour for daylight saving time, Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, is continuing her battle to end that tradition.

“There’s not really a good justification for it anymore,” Maloy told KSL. “When you ask people why we change the clocks, most people just shrug, they don’t have any idea.”

Since 2024, Rep. Maloy has been pushing Congress to pass the Daylight Act, which would allow all 50 states the option of staying on daylight saving time year-round. U.S. law currently gives states the option of staying on standard time year-round, but Arizona and Hawaii are the only states that have chosen to do that.

A Utah lawmaker tried to get the state to do the same thing in the 2025 General Legislative Session, but the legislature failed to pass the bill, and it never resurfaced. If the bill did pass, it did have a clause saying Utah would switch to daylight saving time year-round.

Utah lawmakers passed a trigger law in 2020 to observe daylight saving time year-round, but it can’t go into effect until Congress changes the law.

What’s the holdup?

Maloy said support for her proposal is not the issue, it’s getting it to the top of Congress’ to-do list.

The issue normally comes up around the time people change the clocks and are annoyed about it. But, she said she doesn’t think Congress will take action on the issue right now, even though the clocks just changed.

She said that’s because other pressing issues are taking up hers and her colleagues’ attention, like the war in Iran, funding the Department of Homeland Security and the upcoming midterm elections.

“Even though we’re all feeling the pain this week, it’s not the top priority with issues in Iran and funding for homeland security,” Maloy said. “I don’t anticipate that we’re going to be able to get the kind of attention this week on the Daylight Act that I was hoping we would be able to get when clocks changed.”

Maloy noted the U.S. Senate actually passed similar legislation to hers a few years ago called the Sunshine Protection Act. But it has since stalled because the then-sponsor for that legislation, former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio since became the U.S. secretary of state.

When will Congress act on the issue?

Maloy said she hopes the Daylight Act gets its first hearing sometime in the fall when Utahns and most Americans switch back to standard time.

The act needs to pass in a House committee, the full House, a Senate committee and the full Senate. It would then need the president’s signature to become law.

Maloy warned that could take some time.

“We’re not talking weeks, hopefully we’re talking months,” Maloy said. “I think we’re likely talking years.”

But, ultimately Maloy said she is confident there will be a day Utahns no longer have to worry about changing their clocks again.

“I’m confident that it will happen,” Maloy said. “It’s just a question of when.”

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