As we approach the end of the year, many Americans are once again gearing up for the annual ritual of turning their clocks back an hour, marking the return to Standard Time. But for those who were hopeful that 2023 would bring an end to Daylight Saving Time (DST) following the buzz around the Sunshine Protection Act last year, we have some news for you.
A Brief Overview of Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time, commonly known as DST, is a practice in which clocks are adjusted forward by one hour during the warmer months and then set back an hour in the fall. This adjustment, intended to maximize daylight during the evenings, is governed by the phrase “spring forward, fall back.”
DST was conceived by British builder and outdoorsman William Willet, who proposed the idea in 1907. It wasn’t until World War I, however, that DST was adopted as a way to save energy and fuel. The US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics found that changing the clocks during this period helped conserve resources.
The Sunshine Protection Act: Hopes and Reality
In 2022, the Sunshine Protection Act, proposed by two Florida Republicans, aimed to end the practice of changing clocks twice a year. This legislation proposed that the United States would no longer “fall back” in the winter, effectively enjoying a full year of DST instead of just eight months. However, despite gaining approval in the U.S. Senate in March 2022, the bill failed to pass in the House of Representatives, leaving the nation to continue with the current DST system.
Daylight Saving Time in 2023
For those eager to know when Daylight Saving Time ends in 2023, the answer is November 5. On this day, Americans will set their clocks back one hour, thus gaining an extra hour of sleep, and experiencing brighter mornings. While this change might not bring about the permanent DST many had hoped for, it does provide the consolation of extending the evening daylight hours into the fall and winter.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that Daylight Saving Time will make its return on March 10, 2024, when the clocks will be set forward once again, resulting in a one-hour loss of sleep.
So, as we bid farewell to DST for 2023 and brace ourselves for the impending “fall back,” it appears that the debate surrounding the Sunshine Protection Act and the future of Daylight Saving Time will continue to be a topic of interest and discussion for years to come. For now, the clock-adjusting tradition remains firmly in place, and the extra hour of sleep on November 5 will be a welcome change for many as we prepare to face the darker days of winter.