Americans would be spared having to “fall back” in November — and “spring ahead” in March — under a Senate bill aimed at making life easier amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposal was announced Wednesday by Florida Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, who said a year of not having to change the clocks would be one less worry for the country.
“Our government has asked a lot of the American people over the past seven months, and keeping the nation on daylight-saving time is just one small step we can take to help ease the burden,” Rubio said.
“More daylight in the after-school hours is critical to helping families and children endure this challenging school year.”
Scott added, “After months of staying inside amid the coronavirus pandemic, families across the nation could use a little more sunshine and time to enjoy all that Florida has to offer.”
Both lawmakers are proponents of year-round daylight-saving time, having previously introduced the “Sunshine Protection Act” to eliminate the use of standard time during the winter months.
While Florida governor, Scott also signed non-binding legislation for permanent daylight-saving time in the Sunshine State.
Under the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966, states can exempt themselves from daylight-saving time but not standard time, which was enacted in 1918.