INDIANA, USA — It's almost time to turn back the clocks for daylight saving time. However, some states have taken steps toward making daylight saving time permanent. Here's where Indiana stands.
On Sunday, Nov. 3, Americans will get an extra hour of sleep when clocks "fall back" an hour at 2 a.m.
Only two U.S. states, Arizona and Hawaii, don't observe daylight saving time at all, refusing to roll their clocks forward and backward every year. This is thanks to a loophole in a 58-year-old federal law that requires states to stay on daylight saving time.
For the rest of the U.S., however, Congress decides whether or not states must observe daylight saving time.
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 mandates the use of daylight saving time across the country, but allows states to opt out and exempt themselves from the practice to stay on standard time year-round.
The act does not allow states to permanently establish daylight saving time, which would keep them an hour ahead from November to March while other states switch to standard time.
In the last five years, 19 states have passed measures to stay on daylight saving time permanently — a move that some have called "lock the clock." In 2024, at least 30 states, including Indiana considered or are considering legislation related to daylight saving time.
Where does Indiana stand on making daylight saving time permanent?
Indiana is split between two time zones. While the majority of counties in Indiana are in the Eastern time zone, 18 counties in the northwest and southwest parts of the state are in the Central time zone.
A bill exempting Indiana from daylight saving time was introduced into the Indiana General Assembly for the 2024 session but died in committee.
What is Congress doing to make daylight saving time permanent?
There have been efforts on the congressional level to make this change.
For the past few years, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has introduced a version of what he calls the "Sunshine Protection Act," which would permanently establish daylight saving time for the whole country. The bills, however, usually die before they ever come close to becoming law.
Back in 2022, the U.S. Senate passed a version of that bill but it was never voted on by the House of Representatives.
With efforts from the 2023 session failing to advance, Americans will continue to "spring forward" and "fall back" until further notice.
