The House passed a bill Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent, and the change could have a noticeable impact on daily life, especially in winter.
WHAT IT MEANS
Daylight Saving Time means that the clocks change twice a year: "spring forward" and "fall back". The bill passed by the House would create permanent Daylight Saving Time, permanent "spring forward".
The summer would NOT be impacted, as we already observe DST in the summer. What would change is the winter, which would be one hour ahead from current times.
For Omaha, at the peak, the sunrise/sunset times would be:
SUNRISE - 8:49 am
SUNSET - 5:54 pm
This would mean we get a later evening, but winter mornings would be dark.
THE HISTORY OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
It dates back to World War I and the German Empire. To conserve coal and fuel for the war effort, the German government adopted DST. The idea was to have civilian life better follow the sun for daily activities; therefore, less fuel/coal would be needed at night, which could aid the war. Other European nations quickly followed suit; the United States enacted DST with the Standard Time Act in 1918.
Following the Great War, most countries abandoned the practice, but the US continued to observe DST. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which federalized DST observance.
States can opt out of DST, but they have to observe permanent standard time. Arizona and Hawaii have done so and do not observe DST.
19 states have passed legislation attempting to create permanent DST. However, since the 1966 bill does not allow for that, it needs an act to overturn that. Both Nebraska and Iowa have introduced legislation pushing for permanent DST, but neither state has passed any resolution.
In 1974, in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, President Richard Nixon established permanent DST as a way to save energy. At first, the country agreed, with 79% of the population in a National Opinion Research Center poll in December 1973 liking the change. However, once the ramifications of what it meant for winter transpired, public support fell. By February 1974, public support dropped to 42% in the same poll.
The biggest concern was schoolchildren going to school in the dark. According to an article in the Omaha World-Herald, 8 schoolchildren deaths in Florida were blamed on the darkness. Lawmakers repealed the act in October 1974.
Permanent DST re-entered the national conversation in 2019 when the Sunshine Protection Act was introduced. After a few years, the Senate passed the bill by voice consent in 2022. However, it stalled and died by the end of the year. It was re-introduced in 2023 & 2025, with the 2025 version of the bill being the one that passed in July 2026.
REACTIONS TO THE BILL
For many, the prospect of more evening light is welcome. KMTV talked with several neighbors at the Old Market who agreed.
James Hayes said the change would not disrupt his routine.
"No. I think the winter hours should be shorter."
Another Old Market visitor, Aniella, said she prefers the later light at the end of the day.
"In winter I gotta slow down, I gotta hunker, I gotta get some extra work done. I don't like getting to work in the daylight, I like getting out early."
Christine Jensen said she sees a seasonal trade-off as worthwhile.
"Come the spring and the summer, I like the extra time so I can make it up in the winter."
Not everyone welcomes the change. When permanent daylight saving time was tried in 1974, it was reversed after widespread concern that later winter sunrises meant children going to school and adults going to work in the dark.
There may also be health risks. A 2025 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that permanent daylight saving time can negatively impact sleep, as it is harder on the body to wake up in the dark.
THE CASE FOR STANDARD TIME
Instead, sleep experts believe that permanent standard time is better for health. Though no bill or any law is looking to pass this, here's what permanent standard time would look like.
This would affect the summer; winter would NOT be impacted.
For Omaha, at the peak, the sunrise/sunset times would be:
SUNRISE - 4:50 am
SUNSET - 8:00 pm
This would mean that mornings become earlier, while our summer evenings are cut a bit short.
Experts claim the benefits would be improved sleep, improved morning alertness, and a reduced risk of long-term issues. Critics of permanent standard time point to the loss of late summer evening light as a significant drawback.
THE FUTURE OF THE BILL
The bill has only been passed by the House, so it goes to the Senate for another vote. However, reporting from CBS News says that the Senate may be reluctant to take up the bill.
President Trump has publicly expressed support for the bill. If the Senate does pass it, the President seems likely to sign it, and permanent DST would become the norm in the US.
Time will tell, literally.
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