Author: Tomme Montana REALTOR

What do you think?

WASHINGTON —

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has reintroduced a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent and it now has the support of President Donald Trump. 

Rubio’s Sunshine Protection Act would make daylight saving time year-round for the entire country, from Maine to Hawaii.

Florida passed a bill last year to make daylight saving time permanent in only in that state, but it has not taken effect because it requires congressional approval.

“Studies have shown many benefits of a year-round daylight saving time, which is why Florida’s Legislature overwhelmingly voted to make it permanent last year. Reflecting the will of the state of Florida, I’m proud to reintroduce this bill to make daylight saving time permanent nationally,” Rubio said.

When Rubio introduced the bill last March, he said permanent daylight saving time could benefit the economy.

Rubio said last year that daylight saving time is better for the state’s agriculture since the time changes disrupt farmers’ schedules, and that it reduces traffic accidents due to greater visibility and increases physical fitness due to an extra hour for outdoor, daytime activities, among other benefits.

Officials with one Central Florida school district spoke out against the move last year, saying that if daylight saving time were to be made permanent, students would be walking to school and waiting for school buses in the dark.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump voiced his support of the measure in a tweet Monday.

“Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me,” the president wrote.

The United States officially adopted daylight saving time in 1966 to allow for better use of daylight hours.

Hawaii and most of Arizona are two places that are exempt from the Uniform Time Act of 1966. The act established the system of uniform daylight saving time throughout the U.S. Hawaii and Arizona, however, stay with standard time, with the exception of Navajo tribal lands in Arizona.

In the meantime, Florida and the rest of the country turned the clocks one hour forward Sunday.