Americans are all set to lose an hour of sleep and “spring forward” starting 2 a.m. Sunday, March 9.
Clocks will need to be adjusted forward by one hour, with many devices, such as computers and smartphones, making the change automatically. Unless you have smart appliances, microwaves and ovens are among the household items that will need a manual adjustment.
Read on to learn more about daylight saving time (DST).
Why do we have to change our clocks for daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time became a national standard in 1966 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act, which was established as a way to continue to conserve energy. The thinking was if it’s light out longer, that’s less time you’ll need to use the lights in your house.
In 2005, Congress amended the act to expand daylight saving time to the period in effect today: Starting on the second Sunday in March and ending on the first Sunday in November. This move was also for energy saving purposes.
When will daylight saving time end?
DST will end Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 — clocks will “fall back” and we gain an hour of sleep.
Permanent daylight saving time attempted once before
Former president Richard Nixon once signed a bill that went into effect in January 1974— which made daylight saving time permanent for two years.
The public was initially in favor of it, happy to not change clocks twice a year. But sunrises as late as 9:30 a.m. quickly dissuaded the public, and daylight saving time was reintroduced in October 1974.
The Sunshine Protection Act and daylight saving time
President Donald Trump wants to end daylight saving time in favor of having one time year round, calling DST “inconvenient and very costly to our Nation.” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) reintroduced the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act in January to make that happen. According to Congress.gov, the act was introduced in the House on Jan. 3 and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that same day.
A previous Sunshine Protection Act was unanimously approved by the Senate in 2022, but not in the House, and was not signed into law by then-President Joe Biden. Another version of the act, was introduced in the House in 2023, then referred to the Energy and Commerce Committee, with that committee discharged from considering the bill in November 2024.
Related: Trump wants to end daylight saving time, the biannual clock change. It’s been done before
If Congress approves the Sunshine Protection Act, 19 states will move forward with previously enacted legislation or resolutions to end bi-annual clock changes. In some cases, there are states who will do the same should the states around them do so.
Under the Uniform Time Act, states can exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time; however, if a state chooses to observe DST, it must begin and end on federally mandated dates.
In New York, a proposal exists to establish a task force to study the effects of the Empire State opting out of daylight saving time. As of Feb. 28, the proposal is still in with the state Senate finance committee.
Daylight saving time is also time to check smoke detectors
The American Red Cross says the day is also when people should test their smoke alarms as they turn their clocks forward to make sure the devices are working.
“Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half as you only have about two minutes to safely get out,” said Stephanie Dunn Ashley, CEO, Metro NY North chapter of the American Red Cross, in a statement. “Every second counts when there’s a home fire and the sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get to a safer place. When daylight saving time ends this weekend, test your smoke alarms to help prevent a tragedy in your home.”
The Red Cross notes that over the past year, local Red Cross volunteers responded to help nearly900 people affected by nearly100 home fires in Westchester County, Rockland County and the town of Greenwich, Connecticut.
If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Visit www.soundthealarm.org/mnyn for more information about to sign up for a free smoke alarm installation appointment.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: When do the clocks change for daylight saving time?
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