Children in Delaware and Ohio could face darker winter commutes if the United States adopts permanent daylight saving time, a proposal that would eliminate the annual November clock change. The Sunshine Protection Act has advanced in the House but faces uncertain prospects in the Senate, while the scheduled time change remains November 1, 2026.The legislation would keep clocks on daylight saving time throughout the year, shifting an hour of daylight from winter mornings to evenings rather than creating additional sunlight. Supporters favor longer afternoon daylight, but health experts and families have raised concerns about student safety, sleep schedules and school readiness.
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According to Delaware’s sunrise projections, Wilmington would experience sunrises after 8 a.m. from November 29 through February 10 under permanent daylight saving time. The same conditions would extend from November 28 through February 11 in Dover and December 2 through February 8 in Rehoboth Beach.
Students in the Brandywine and Indian River school districts could begin middle and high school classes before sunrise. Children waiting at bus stops and young drivers heading to school would also face darker morning conditions.President Donald Trump has supported eliminating the twice-yearly clock change. In an August 4 post on Truth Social, he wrote:”People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year. It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly,” Trump said.
However, the proposal has encountered resistance in the Senate. Lawmakers returned from a five-week recess on September 14, but the legislation was not scheduled for a vote before another congressional recess began October 5.Senate Majority Leader John Thune described the legislative outlook during an October 5 interview.”there’s no clear path forward” Thune said.
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, also expressed doubt about the bill’s chances and highlighted the consequences for children.”My best guess is there aren’t votes to pass it,” Moran said.Moran explained that the morning darkness could affect students traveling to school.
“The impact, generally, is kids would be going to school, walking to the bus, in the dark.”Margarite Demonia Watson, a Brandywine School District resident and grandparent of a student, said she was concerned about children waiting outside before sunrise, particularly when other people might still be around after nighttime activities.”I don’t like it; it’s not safe,” Demonia Watson said.
She reiterated her concerns about students being outdoors in darkness.”I think it’s unsafe to be out in the dark.”Dr. Ashley Anttila, a pediatrician at Nemours Wilmington Clinic, said morning light helps regulate children’s internal body clocks. She warned that keeping daylight saving time year-round could delay sleep-wake rhythms if school schedules remained unchanged.
“My biggest concern in a permanent daylight saving time world, thinking about kids, is basically that morning light that we get right now can be a really great signal to regulate the internal body clock and circadian rhythm,” Anttila said.She explained how reduced morning light could affect children’s biological schedules.”And so getting less light in the morning would shift the sleep-wake rhythm a bit later.”Anttila said adjusting school start times could help address the problem, but children might struggle to feel ready to learn if schedules did not change.”that would potentially be a tough thing for kids to regulate in terms of, you know, their circadian rhythm, being ready to learn,” Anttila said.Insufficient sleep can affect students’ attention, memory and mood. Anttila also acknowledged potential advantages from longer evenings.”There’s great benefits to this happening,” Anttila said.She pointed to additional opportunities for outdoor activities and family time after school.”The later evening sun is wonderful for kids doing sports and having more time with family outdoors later in the day and things like that too. So, you know, it isn’t all worry or concern that I have.”The United States previously experimented with permanent daylight saving time in 1974 after President Richard Nixon signed legislation intended to reduce energy consumption during a fuel crisis. Initial public support approached 80%, but concerns about dark winter mornings contributed to growing opposition.According to the Pensacola News Journal, eight children reportedly died in traffic accidents during the experiment’s first two weeks. Congress ended the policy later that year and restored standard time during winter months. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine study also found that the change did not conserve energy, although motor vehicle accidents decreased slightly as evening daylight increased.Under federal rules, daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November and begins on the second Sunday in March. In 2026, clocks will move back one hour at 2 a.m. Eastern time on November 1, bringing earlier sunrises and sunsets across Ohio.For November 1, timeanddate.com projects sunrise at approximately 6:57 a.m. and sunset at 5:21 p.m. in Akron; 7:05 a.m. and 5:37 p.m. in Cincinnati; 6:58 a.m. and 5:21 p.m. in Cleveland; 7:01 a.m. and 5:29 p.m. in Columbus; 7:05 a.m. and 5:34 p.m. in Dayton; and 7:06 a.m. and 5:28 p.m. in Toledo.The proposal’s supporters seek to eliminate the November and March clock changes, often described as “falling back” in autumn. However, the Senate’s uncertain position leaves the scheduled November 1 time change in place unless Congress passes the legislation and the president signs it before the deadline.
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