As New Jersey residents prepare to turn their clocks back Nov. 1, state lawmakers are considering a proposal to eliminate the twice-yearly time change and keep daylight saving time year-round.
The bill, S3236, is sponsored by Senate President Nicholas Scutari and state Sen. Shirley Turner. The Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee considered the legislation Oct. 15.
Under current federal law, states can opt out of daylight saving time and remain on standard time, but they cannot independently adopt permanent daylight saving time. Congress would have to amend federal law before New Jersey could implement the change.
The proposal has raised concerns about the effects of darker winter mornings on health, safety and religious observance.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine called for eliminating seasonal clock changes in favor of permanent standard time in October 2020, citing the disruption to the body’s natural rhythms.
A review published by the National Institutes of Health found that permanent daylight saving time could disrupt circadian rhythms, the body’s internal clock. The resulting mismatch between biological and social schedules, known as “social jet lag,” has been associated with increased risks of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and depression.
“Our circadian rhythm is designed to be exposed to bright light when we get up in the morning, and it’s supposed to start getting darker in the evening, causing dim light melatonin secretion, which for most people starts around 7 p.m.,” Adrian Pristas, director of sleep medicine at Hackensack Meridian Health, said in a March 2025 statement. “If we have too much bright light in the evening, like we do during daylight saving season, our body won’t produce the melatonin it needs to fall asleep in a timely manner.
A longstanding debate
Daylight saving time shifts clocks forward one hour during part of the year. It begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
The United States established standard time zones and introduced daylight saving time through the Standard Time Act of 1918. Congress later passed the Uniform Time Act of 1966 to standardize time observance nationwide.
Research into daylight saving time’s benefits has produced mixed results. A 1974 federal study found limited potential benefits from year-round daylight saving time for energy conservation, traffic safety and reducing violent crime. A 2008 Department of Energy analysis found that extending daylight saving time reduced total U.S. energy consumption by approximately 0.02%.
National efforts continue
Since 2015, 47 states have considered legislation to change daylight saving time, according to the Congressional Research Service. Nineteen states have enacted laws intended to establish permanent daylight saving time if Congress authorizes it.
The federal Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 would establish year-round daylight saving time across most of the country. The House passed the measure July 14, 2026, but the Senate has not yet considered it.
Other federal proposals would let states choose permanent daylight saving time or establish year-round standard time.
Hawaii and most of Arizona already observe standard time year-round, as do five U.S. territories. Florida has enacted legislation for permanent daylight saving time, but it has not taken effect because federal law has not changed.
New Jersey previously considered a similar measure that advanced in the Senate but was not enacted. The current proposal would also require congressional action before taking effect.
For now, clocks in New Jersey remain scheduled to fall back one hour Nov. 1.
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
