Daylight Saving Time All Year Long? South Carolina Has A Plan For That

Daylight Saving Time goes into effect at 2 a.m. Sunday (March 14) so get ready to spring forward and set your clocks an hour ahead before going to sleep Saturday night. The twice-a-year occurrence where most of the country adjusts the time has left many people wondering why we continue the tradition. South Carolina lawmakers, however, have a plan to keep Daylight Saving all year long.

In January 2020, state lawmakers passed legislation that would make the switch to Daylight Saving Time permanent in the event of a change in federal law that would allow states to decide for themselves whether to keep DST all year or not, according to The State. South Carolina is one state among many that have introduced similar bills, including: Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Utah, Wyoming, Arkansas, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, and Florida.

A new bill filed in December, however, aims to bypass the federal requirement, allowing the state to submit a waiver to the federal secretary of transportation for approval, WPDE reports. If approved, South Carolina would be the third state not to observe DST.

Currently, all states, with the exception of Hawaii and Arizona, observe Daylight Saving Time. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, states can choose not to observe DST, but federal law does not allow the permanent observance of it.

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