Alabama approved permanent daylight saving time: Why its clocks still change in November

(NEXSTAR) — Kids are back in school, NFL games are on TV, the leaves are changing: there’s no question that fall is upon us. That also means the end of daylight saving time is approaching. 

The return to standard time is happening on the second-earliest day possible this year, November 2. As we have for several years, we’ll set our clocks back an hour that day (if they don’t do it automatically), much to the chagrin of numerous state and federal lawmakers. 

That may be especially true for the subset of lawmakers who enacted legislation to put their states on daylight saving time year-round. Despite their best efforts, a major roadblock stands between them and their clocks going unchanged all year: Congress. 

While states do have the ability to lock their clocks, current federal regulations limit their decision to year-round standard time only. Hawaii and Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) have done so already. 

Ten states have enacted legislation to permanently observe daylight saving time should they ever receive federal approval to do so. 

In 2018, Florida became the first state to call for year-round DST. Delaware followed suit in 2019, stipulating that, in addition to federal approval, it would lock the clocks if Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania did the same. None of those states has enacted permanent daylight saving time legislation, despite recent efforts.

Wyoming passed similar legislation in 2020, but instead said it would make the switch if any three nearby states — Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Utah — did the same. So far, only Colorado has been successful. 

Other states to enact all-year daylight saving time legislation are Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, and, most recently, Texas and Maine.

California voters gave their legislators the OK to lock the clocks in 2018, but the state has failed to do so.

Numerous other pieces of legislation — some of which call for permanent standard time instead — have been introduced nationwide this year. Many have stalled out. 

Four daylight saving time-related pieces of legislation have been introduced in Congress during the current session. 

Two bills, companion legislation introduced in the House and the Senate, would put the U.S. on year-round daylight saving time. Two others would allow states to decide if they want to observe permanent daylight saving time. All four were referred to committee, and one requires a revote.

What does this all mean? Unless you live in Hawaii or much of Arizona, you’ll be gaining an hour of sleep on November 2.